Chemists for ban on online sale of drugs

Bathinda, December 23

Ashok Ballianwali president of the District Chemist Association (TDCA) on Monday met Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and brought in his notice the impact of online sale-purchase of medicines.

Dr Vardhan was in the city on Monday to inaugurate the AIIMS OPD. Ashok and his team welcomed the minister and told him that due to online sale-purchase of medicines, licensed chemists were suffering losses, while on the other hand it was also leading to hike in the sale of banned medicines and drugs, which was loss to the drive initiated against drugs by the government.

The Union Health Minister said the issue was already in his notice. He assured that online sale-purchase of medicines would soon be banned and only licensed chemists would be able to do this business. He said earlier, the issue was raised by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (ALOCD) delegation too.

Ashok congratulated Narendra Modi, Harsh Vardhan, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and OP Soni for the starting of AIIMS OPD. He also claimed that apart from patients of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, even chemists would see a boom in their business due to AIIMS.

“We have also requested the state government to put a stop on selling and buying of medicines via online platforms. A national body of chemists association had been putting in strenuous efforts to ensure that the sale of medicines through online platforms be stopped. Following this the drug controller had issued advisories to different states,” he added.

Few days back, members of the Bathinda Chemist Association submitted a memorandum of demands to the District Drug Inspector against selling of medicines through online platforms. The memorandum was submitted on the directions of the Punjab Chemist Association. — TNS