Last Updated on January 5, 2024 by The Health Master
Aiming to curb the menace of using intoxicated drugs, the department of drugs control administration (DCA) in Delhi has imposed restrictions on stocking, sale and distribution of habit forming drugs in the whole region of NCT of Delhi.
If any retail chemist violates the direction in this regard, the licence of the firm will be cancelled.
“All the drugs which cause drug addiction among people, especially among the young generation, will be restricted and only their careful sale will be allowed.
On dispensing the medicines, the prescriptions should be affixed a “dispensed” stamp over them.
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And, on the side of wholesalers, they should give only the limited quantity of the habit forming drugs to the retailers”, sources from Delhi DCA informed.
The department wants to control pharmaceutical drug abuse in the national capital territory.
Both the wholesalers and the retailers have to record how much of these drugs they have purchased and how much sold.
All the traders should be careful in selling these drugs, sources added.
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As part of the new initiative of the department, the drugs coming under Schedule H1 which comprises anti-TB drugs, habit forming drugs (including psychotropic drugs) and a certain antibiotic drugs will be put under restrictions of the drugs control officials.
The retailers will not be allowed to keep huge quantities of codeine or corex syrups or morphine injections or other narcotic items.
Wholesalers can stock huge quantities, but they will also be restricted and properly recorded for anytime check up by the officials.
In a meeting of pharmaceutical wholesalers and retailers, called by Atul Kumar Nasa, the head of department (controlling and licensing authority) of the drugs control wing, the DCA has given instructions to all wholesalers and retail chemists to limit the purchase, stock and sale of all types of habit forming drugs, especially codeine preparations, for their business.
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The traders were informed to report to the department if they find any misuse of these restricted drugs anywhere in the capital territory.
The leaders of Delhi chemists and druggists association who attended the meeting were wanted to inform their members about the direction of the department.
Sharing information with Pharmabiz, Atul Nasa said restriction was imposed because of large scale increase in the use of these drugs, mostly Schedule H1 drugs, by the young generation in the capital region recently.
From now on, all the drugs coming under Schedule H1 will be sold only on prescriptions. The traders were warned to stock only limited number of quantities of these drugs.
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“We find that codeine is widely used by the young generation in Delhi and they purchase it without prescriptions.
For controlling abuse of drugs and misuse of prescriptions, the department has given instructions to all retail traders to affix ‘dispensed’ stamp on the prescription to prevent repeated purchase.
No person will get any of the Schedule H1 category drugs without prescriptions and if any trader violates this direction, his licence will be cancelled, there will not be any punitive action like suspension of licence”, said Nasa.
The drugs controller said there are 24000 retail chemist licencees in Delhi and 17 drugs inspectors are in the department.
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