PESHAWAR: The Provincial Chemists and Druggists Association agreed to end the strike after acceptance of its demands by the health department on Thursday.

The office-bearers of the association held a meeting with the health minister and health secretary wherein they were allowed to run the wholesale stores of medicines on category B certificate besides permitting them to run retail medical stores on category C, according to officials.

The government had already allowed the holders of category C certificate to run retail drug shops till January 2020 because banning them would cause problems. The PCDA has been protesting against the new rules for the past one week in the province.

Officials say protesters’ demand about reversal of rules turned down

The province has currently about 17,000 holders of category C certificate, who run medical stores. The association has been protesting against amendments in the rules of Drug Act, 1976 that are meant to regulate supplying, sale and distribution of medicines in the province.

The rules framed in 1982 had become outdated due to which need for amendment was felt by the health department last year.

The 17 amendments made in the rules have enraged the chemists and druggists as they think that these would affect their businesses because they lack the required criteria to operate retail and wholesale drug outlets.

Earlier in the day, the provincial cabinet also met with the representatives of the association. The representatives of the association demanded reversals of the new rules and continuing the old rules but their demands were turned down, according to officials.

Mohammad Ibrahim, the deputy secretary (drugs) of health department, told Dawn that government permitted the drug store owners to continue with category C till they got two-year diploma in pharmacy from the recognised institutions. “It is a requirement of the Pharmacy Act, 1967 by the federal government under which the pharmacy technicians with two-year diploma would stand entitled to supervise medical stores,” he said.

He said that the whole sellers were allowed to run their outlets on category B certificate because there was shortage of category A qualified people in the market currently. He added that at present the number of category A persons was about 5,000 in the province and within couple of years, the government would be able to authorise them for whole sale business of medicines.

“However, they wouldn’t be allowed to deal uncertain drugs, which we have conveyed to the association members. We have to ensure quality drugs to the people and wouldn’t reverse the new rules framed after 35 years,” said the official.

Mr Ibrahim said the government was committed to regulate the trade and supply of medicines in the best interest of the people and wouldn’t compromise on the new rules made in that regard.

He added that each and every whole seller was required to purchase drugs in bulks from the companies registered with the government so that the business of fake, counterfeit and spurious drugs could be checked.

The official said that every retail store would be run by qualified person and they would be required to show invoices to the drugs inspectors about the source of their stocks.

He said that implementation of the new drug rules was paying off as they were able to penalise the violators of the law in the courts.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2018