Multiple associations of chemists and druggists, at both the city and state level, on Tuesday decided to stop fresh purchase from July 10 and surrender their licences by July 16.
Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association (MSCDA), together with Pharmacists Wholesalers Association (PWA) and Retailers Druggists and Chemists Association (RDCA) on Tuesday said that in face of incessant “harassment” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) they had decided to quit the business of pharmacy and surrender their licences.
The chemists in the city have been crying foul ever since the FDA came down heavily on them for failing to have a certified pharmacist in the store at any given time when the store operates. Chemists have demonstrated that the FDA is using the law as a means to harass them and is not implementing it in the right spirit.
“FDA seems to have assumed that it’s a quasi judicial body and all the powers rest with it. They have been out on a mission to harass us. We have never said that we disagree on the issue of having a pharmacist in our store. But, a pharmacist will only work an eight-hour shift, should we not keep our shops open till late night then? They claim that it is meant for the well-being of patients. What if patients don’t get medicines at all?” questioned Anil Navandar, president of MSCDA.
All the three associations are to stop placing purchase order by July 10. In between July 10 and July 15 they will sell the available stock and return the remaining to the manufacturers. There are approximately 55,000 chemists associated with the three associations who will surrender their licences.
Meanwhile, the minister of state for FDA Satej Patil speaking to The Asian Age said, “We have called a meeting of the associations and the FDA in my presence. The associations cannot resort to these threatening tactics taking the government for granted. If they have issues, then they should sit across the table and sort them out.”