UP DCA Makes Linking Of Aadhaar Of Pharmacists With Sale Licences Mandatory
Chennai, 15 March 2019: Aiming to end the malpractice of renting out of certificates by pharmacists to medical shop owners who operate their outlets without engaging pharmacists in the shops, the Uttar Pradesh drugs control administration (UP DCA) has made it mandatory to link Aadhaar number of pharmacist with sale licences. The UP DCA's decision comes in the wake of an order from Allahabad High Court in this regard last year.
With this, no pharmacist can rent out his certificate to another shop and no shop owner can run a medical store without engaging a pharmacist.
While applying for fresh licenses or for retention, the medical shop owner/applicant must mention the Aadhaar number of the pharmacist in the application form. Even as it has been made mandatory for fresh licenses, the existing licence holders must also share their pharmacists' Aadhaar with the concerned office of the department within the specified time limit, says AK Jain, state controlling and licensing authority of UP DCA.
"It was made effective soon after the order came and the process is on the portal. Within a specified time, the existing shops too need to register the Aadhaar numbers of their pharmacists. But it is difficult to identify and collect all of them. We are giving instructions to all. There are 76,933 retail pharmacies in the whole state," said the DC.
The association of pharmacists had earlier filed a case with the court against running pharmacies without pharmacists and renting out certificates by pharmacists to medical shop owners who operate their outlets without engaging pharmacists in their shops. In the judgment, the court ordered the drug control department to ensure presence of pharmacists in the medical shops and link their Aadhaar numbers with the sale licence register. This will help to stop renting out one's certificate to other medical stores.
Jain said the department has already started the process of including Aadhaar numbers and it is included in all applications receiving online and offline. Instruction has been given to the existing retail shop owners to follow the process at the earliest.
Talking about the enforcement activities, he said the department has issued 3,815 restricted retail licenses, 20 A and 21 A, under Schedule K and in these premises presence of pharmacists is not required always. The shop can sell a selected list of medicines. Along with the licence, the list of medicines is also given.
Regarding digital services, Jain said applications for fresh sale licence and for retention are accepted online and certificates are issued within 24 hours by the ADCs. In the next three months, manufacturers can also apply online, for that a software is being developed. In the case of medical devices, all registration processes are done paperless.
Talking to Pharmabiz, the UP DC claimed that Uttar Pradesh is the state with highest number of Jan Aushadhi Stores which are run by registered pharmacists only. Medicines to these stores are supplied by BPPI. He said Jan Aushadhi Stores can develop much more provided other manufacturing companies are also allowed to supply for them.Pharmabiz