Last Updated on October 31, 2020 by The Health Master
In an attempt to revamp and strengthen enforcement of Drugs Act and Pharmacy Act in a proper way, the drugs control administration (DCA) in the Union territory of Ladakh is preparing a master plan to be submitted to the administration of the northern most region of the country.
The master plan is designed on the lines of the Jammu and Kashmir UT administration’s plan of action to implement the D&C Act and the Pharmacy Act and their efforts to constitute a pharmacy council for the J&K territory.
The UT of Ladakh has very little number of registered pharmacists. Except those working in the drugs control wing and under the NHM scheme, the pharmacists working in health centres and in community pharmacies are with the background of medical assistant course (MAC) who were recognized and permitted to work as pharmacists after registering with the erstwhile J&K pharmacy council by the previous regime.
Now, in the aftermath of adaptation of the central drug act and the pharmacy act in the Ladakh territory, the pharmacy professionals in the ‘Land of High Passes’ want to see the government implemented the provisions of the acts in the whole area of the mountainous region which was earlier covered under separate laws under article 370. The DCA is supported by the pharmacy professionals in the area.
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Mohammad Basheer, drugs controller in-charge in Ladakh territory said that he is designing a master plan with two major proposals, one is for building up a strong enforcement wing and another one is for constituting a separate pharmacy council for Ladakh. Currently the pharmacists in the region come under the J&K pharmacy council which is getting renewed under the Central Pharmacy Act.
However, Basheer is planning to raise his demand for the regional pharmacy council after the J&K state pharmacy council is officially constituted under the Central Pharmacy Act. The formation is under process. “We will demand for a pharmacy council for our territory only after the constitution of the J&K pharmacy council. Till then we will wait and prepare for it,” he said.
Basheer further said the pharmacists in the Ladakh region do not want a combined pharmacy council for the two union territories as it is too difficult for the people to travel to Srinagar from this highest altitude plateau region for the purpose of registration and renewal of certificates.
He said several students from Leh and Kargil are doing pharmacy courses in Jammu, Punjab, Delhi and in south India. It is a time consuming and expensive journey to travel to Jammu or Srinagar and takes minimum one day to finish the registration process and come back to Leh or Kargil. Once a pharmacy council is constituted in the region, it will benefit the pharmacy profession and help bring up institutions to start pharmacy education in Ladakh with the help of institutions of other states.
Presently, Basheer is an Assistant Drugs Controller in Ladakh with charge of controlling authority under the J&K drugs control department. His department has two drug inspectors with charges of Leh and Kargil areass. The number of retailers in Leh is 58 and in Kargil 54. The wholesalers dealing in pharma business is 10. His proposal to the government demands for 10 more drug inspectors and two ADCs and one drug testing laboratory in Kargil town.
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