Severe staff crunch hits supervision of medical shops across Telengana

Hyderabad, January 13, 2022:

Telangana state is facing severe shortage of drug inspectors and pharmacy inspectors in the state because of which the state Drug Control Administration (DCA) is failing in its duties to conduct regular supervision of the medical shops and drug stores in the state.

According to Sanjay Reddy, a member of Pharmacy Council of Telangana, on one hand the DCA has released a recent circular to implement the Drugs and Cosmetic Act and Pharmacy Act strictly by conducting regular inspections of medical shops and drug stores in the state, while on the other hand just 70 drug inspectors are struggling to inspect over 35,000 pharmacies across the state.

“As per the law, for inspecting every 100 pharmacy stores there should be at least one drug or pharmacy inspector. But in Telangana as against the actual requirement of 350 drug inspectors, the state government is running the show with just 70 drug inspectors. With the recent release of a new circular which mandates the implementation of Pharmacy Act in the state and as per which the government requires to recruit pharmacy inspectors. But it has put it on hold and instead had given charge to 4 existing drug inspectors to take additional in charge as pharmacy inspectors to conduct supervision of 35,000 pharmacies in the state which is near impossible,” Reddy said.

He opined that if government is really sincere in its efforts to implement the Pharmacy Act it should fill the vacant pharmacy inspector posts first instead of giving in charge to the existing drug inspectors who are already overburdened with their own inspection schedules of pharma companies, laboratories and medical shops.

With the government deciding to implement the Pharmacy Act, it is a must for it to first conduct the recruitment of the pharmacy inspectors in the state. While some of the states like Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have already started recruiting the pharmacy inspectors, the Telangana government is yet to take a decision in this regard.

However, recently with Telangana DCA director general Dr Preethi Meena giving additional charge to 4 existing drug inspectors the additional charge as pharmacy inspectors the members of pharmacy association in the state have expressed their displeasure and termed the decision of the government as an eyewash and said that the government lacks sincerity in implementing the Pharmacy Act in the state.

There are thousands of medical shops and pharmacy stores in the state which are violating the rules and regulations by employing ineligible and non qualified persons to dispense medicines at the stores and putting the lives of people in danger. Pharmabiz