12 chemist shops invite action for operating without pharmacists

In a raid conducted on Tuesday, three teams of drug inspectors found 12 of 23 chemist shops functioning without pharmacists.

Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act India, 1940, it’s compulsory for a medical store to have a qualified and permanent pharmacist to provide medicines.

Drug inspector Sukhwir Chand said three teams visited the 23 medical stores in Salem Tabri, Basti Jodhewal, Pindi Street, Rahon Road, Tajpur Road, Giaspura, Shimlapuri and Model Town, and found that 12 chemist shops had no pharmacists. As a result, notices were served to these shops.

The team also collected 11 samples of medicine for quality and label testing. The samples were taken from Raja Medical Halland Sandhu Medical Hall in Salem Tabri, Bansal Pharmaceuticals in Pindi Street, Varinder Medical Hall in Giaspura and Dhamija Medicos in New Model Town. The samples collected were mainly of antibiotics, cough syrups, antihypertension agents, ointments, etc.

Zonal drug licensing authority officer Dinesh Kumar Gupta said appropriate action would be taken against the defaulters and if found guilty, the licences of the chemist shops would be suspended, adding that licences of three chemist shops were suspended in May for violating norms.

Gupta said no chemist store could operate in absence of trained pharmacists.

However, before taking action a notice would be served to all defaulters, so that they could show cause.

The inspection team comprised drug inspectors Rupinder Kaur, Parneet Kaur, Rooppreet Kaur, Balram Luthra, Lajwinder Kaur and Sukhwir Chand.