Srinagar, Feb 20: The Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) J&K has suspended licenses of 70 pharmacies during its crackdown in Kashmir to monitor the circulation of psychotropic and Habit-Forming Drugs (HFD) and other requirements, officials said.
Officials said over the past few weeks, they have conducted 170 inspections at different places across Kashmir Valley and 79 licenses of pharmacies were suspended for not following the norms.
They said that 79 license holders were not following the regulations like installation CCTV cameras, computer billing and Habit-Forming Drugs (HFD).
The officials said in the Kashmir division more than 98 percent pharmacies have installed CCTVs in their establishments and 75 percent have installed computer billing in their respective shops.
The move has come after the DFCO sealed medical shops in Karan Nagar, Srinagar for allegedly failing to maintain proper records of psychotropic medicines.
Joint Drugs Controller J&K, Irfana Ahmad said they will take strict action against those pharma shops that do not follow the prescribed norms.
“Those pharma shops that do not follow the norms and the given terms and conditions their licences would be suspended and action will be taken,” she said.
During the drives, the Joint Drugs Controller said the department will check everything that comes under their purview like selling of drugs, keeping of records, and selling of HFD.
She added the seized records and inventory will undergo thorough scrutiny to determine the extent of the violations, and legal actions will be taken following relevant regulations.
Officials of the Health and Medical Education Department said the department is working for drug de-addiction and against drug abuse with zero tolerance on unethical practices.
“We are also working against the sale or use of Habit-Forming Drugs and we are taking action also. We are doing regular inspections and we have suspended licenses,” they said.
On Jan 07, 2023, the DFCO had issued guidelines to prevent and stop the illicit use of Habit-Forming Drugs and issued directives to be followed by medical shops.
The department has decided to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to counter the unregulated sale of HFDs in the larger interest of a drug-free society.
“If any trader indulges in wilful omission/breach concerning purchase/sale of HFDs, the drug sale licenses of such dealers shall be canceled,” officials said.
The DFCO has said that the prescription must not be dispensed more than once unless the prescriber has stated thereon that it may be dispensed more than once.
It has then instructed chemists to install HD CCTV and directions have been passed to ensure computerized billing systems in their respective establishments. “The records of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs shall be preserved by license for two years,” the official added.
