GSPC Suspends Registrations Of 86 Pharmacists For Non-Compliance And Professional Misconduct

Mumbai, 9 Sept 2019:

Gujarat State Pharmacy Council (GSPC) has suspended registrations of 2 pharmacists for illegal online sale of prescription medicine and another 84 such registered pharmacists for professional misconduct under the provisions of Rule 36 of Pharmacy Act, 1948.

This is also in contravention to Rule 8 and 9 of Pharmacy Practice Regulation (PPR) Act.

The suspension of 2 pharmacists have been done for a period of five years. Executive Committee of the GSPC decided to suspend registration of 84 pharmacists for one year because of professional misconduct.

These pharmacists were hired by retail shop owners to dispense medicines as per the law of the land. Registration certificates of the pharmacists hired are conspicuously displayed at the retail pharmacies as per norms.

This comes at a time when there are no rules or regulations in place for online sale of medicines and several cases related to the same are pending in various courts.

Montu Kumar Patel, president, GSPC, said, “We received complaints from alert citizens and then forwarded it to Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) for action. We have suspended registration of two pharmacists - Meet Kapadiya and Vasim Pathan associated with such illegal e-pharmacies. Council believes that such online pharmacies will encourage self medications and endanger patient safety. This will also endanger the existence of Jan Aushadhi store meant to provide affordable medicines to the common man.”

GSPC has taken serious note of the complaints and sent them to Gujarat FDCA for action. In yet another such case, it also identified other pharmacists taking up dual employment and other illegal activities.

Council is in the process of hearing cases of more than 150 pharmacists. It is also considering to organize special hearings for pharmacists involved in illegal activities. Since the last 3 months, registrations of more than 138 pharmacists have been suspended.

As per PPR-15 of Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act, it is compulsory to buy medications only after proper counseling by the pharmacist. There are complaints about online pharmacies that they are selling generic medicines at the price of branded medicines.

Schedule H or prescription medicines can be dispatched only in less than 25 degree centigrade but the medicines sold online is through couriers which has no arrangement of maintaining temperature. This was mentioned in complaint submitted to GSPC. The Council has taken serious note of the complaints and sent them to FDCA for necessary action.

The matter on illegal online sale came to light when some alert citizens uploaded single prescription on various online pharmacy Apps and then received phone calls from the companies. The representative was not knowing Gujarati language. There was no arrangement to maintain the temperature.

A different doctor’s name was mentioned against the prescription, stamp of pharmacist is compulsory on medicine bill but in stamp it was not seen in the online pharmacy practice. Another e-pharmacy company sent medicines without any verification.

GSPC has also issued warning to pharmacists who are working as supply chain partners in online pharmacies. Pharmabiz