RAWALPINDI, Feb 27: On the call of the Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association, all pharmacists in the Punjab province on Wednes-day observed a complete strike against the recent amendments to the drugs act.

Besides Bohar Bazaar, one of the major chemist markets in Rawalpindi, all medical stores in 36 districts of the Punjab remained closed, Online news agency reported.

Patients and their relatives had to face severe difficulties due to the closure of pharmacies located adjacent to the Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi General Hospital, Cantonment Hospital and District Headquarters (DHQ) hospital in Rawalpindi.

The strike also created problems for doctors and nursing staff in the hospitals.

Doctors were of the view that they could not provide all medicines to patients, especially during emergency, as the hospital’s pharmacy lacked some injections and drugs.

On the other hand, Punjab Chemists and Druggists Association Chairman Arshad Mehmood Awan has made it clear that the pharmacists would consider the closure of all drug markets in the province if the government did not abolish the new rules.

Dawn’s correspondent from Attock adds: Chemists in Attock also observed a complete shutter-down strike on Wednesday against the promulgation of new drug rules. Almost all medical stores remained closed throughout the day.

Office-bearers of the Chemists and Druggists Association Attock, including Tariq Mehmood and Dr Suhail Khan, said under the new rules, only pharmacists with four-year experience could run a medical store, and the presence of a license holder pharmacist at the store had also been declared mandatory.

They said the rules could not be implemented as the strength of pharmacists was much lower than the number of medical stores.

They termed the new drug rules “cruel and unjustified”, as with their enforcement, not only about 90 per cent of medical store owners would be deprived of their business, but the move would also create problems for the patients.

They regretted that the licences of medical stores were not being renewed by the health department, causing great setback to their business.