In 2 months, licenses of 120 pharmacies suspended in J&K

Srinagar, March 01: In the past two months, the Health and Medical Education Department as part of its crackdown on chemist shops has suspended licenses of more than 120 license holders in J&K who were involved in the selling of Habit-Forming Drugs (HFD).
The health department has decided to intensify its crackdown on medicine shops found to be flouting norms issued from time to time through different orders and notifications.
Administrative Secretary, Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, Bhupinder Kumar, said the department is working for the 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 so far we have suspended licenses of more than 120 license holders,” he said.
The health department has also constituted task force on suggesting measures to be taken regarding the drug menace which is widely prevalent in the valley.
As per an order issued by the H&ME Department, Lotika Khajuria, State Drugs Controller J&K, has been nominated as Nodal Officer from Health & Medical Education Department.
Khajuria has been tasked to handle issues related to drug menace in addition to her assignment as a member of the task force on suggesting measures to be taken regarding drug menace.
On January 07, 2023, the Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) 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.
“In case any pharma trader indulges in wilful omission/breach with respect to purchase/sale of HFDs, the drug sale licenses of such dealers shall be cancelled,” it had then stated.
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 had instructed chemists to install HD CCTV and ensure a computerized billing system in their respective establishments. “The records of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs shall be preserved by the licensee for a period of two years,” it said.