RDAC asks drug cos to display list of authorized distributors on websites to enable retailers to purchase directly from them

Monday, August 14, 2023,

In the wake of the margin issue raised recently by the Tamil Nadu Pharmaceutical Distributors Association (TNPDA), the Retail Distribution Chemists Alliance (RDAC) in Delhi, an affiliate of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), has demanded to the drug manufacturers to stop direct supply of medicines to private hospitals and clinics. It has also written to the drug manufacturers to display the names of their authorized stockists in each state on their websites.

RDAC president and the national vice-president of the AIOCD, Sandeep Nangia, has urged the manufacturers to foster a transparent trade practice mutually beneficial for both the parties.

In a letter written to various industry associations, Nangia has stated that the detailed address of the authorized distributors/stockists of the manufacturing companies should be given on the websites and the list must contain the names of the state-wise and district-wise agencies. He wanted the industry to mark the copy of the list to the office of the AIOCD so that the traders’ body can make out the authorized distributors of each company in each place. Nangia has sent the letter to more than six associations of the drug manufacturing industry.

However, he has not made it clear how the all India trade body can work out on the list of distributors of each manufacturing company as the TNPDA has raised objections in avoiding distributors while the manufacturers supplying to the private hospitals at lower rates.    
 
Nangia’s letter states that the retail chemists can easily find out the distributors of each company in each place so that they can approach the authorized distributor and purchase bulk of medicines from them. This will ensure the flow of medicines through proper channels, ie, from manufacturers to authorized distributors to retailers. The authorized distributors and the retailers are the members of the AIOCD.

Nangia has exhorted his member chemists in Delhi to work collectively for enhancing the credibility of the pharma distributors and retail chemists and focus on quality products. He said the international community repeatedly wants the government of India to increase the quality of medicines exported to various foreign markets, so in the same way the traders should provide full support to the manufacturing industry to produce good quality products for domestic sales.

He said every trader, whether a distributor or retail chemist, has to be responsible towards his business and also to the society. A reliable collaboration is required within the trade industry itself for which the support of all members is needed. According to him, a transparent pharma business can avoid all kinds of counterfeit or spurious drugs from the market with a coordinated effort with all member traders.

PHARMABIZ.com