This State Pharmacy Council to appoint Pharmacy Inspectors

In this regard, the council issued a circular recently, which is in circulation among all social media.

October 30, 2022

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Last Updated on December 31, 2023 by The Health Master

After Kerala and Maharashtra, the Punjab State Pharmacy Council (PSPC) is planning to appoint pharmacy inspectors under Section 26 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 to implement Section 42 to ensure the presence of registered pharmacists in all pharmacies and to find out whether dispensing of medicines is carried out by unqualified people in any dispensing center.

Download Pharmacy Act 1948

The council has invited applications from pharmacy professionals, including pharmacy teachers and working pharmacists under the state government.

In this regard, the council issued a circular recently, which is in circulation among all social media.

PSPC president Sushil Kumar Bansal said that the process of appointment will be completed in the next two months and the pharmacy inspectors will start work from January 2023 onwards.

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He expressed the hope that the chemists and druggists in the state would also welcome the decision of the council.

Gurbaksh Singh Chawla, the general secretary of the Punjab Chemist Association (PCA), said the decision was taken by the council with his consent too, as he is also an elected member of the state pharmacy council.

As regards the qualifications of the pharmacy inspectors, the registrar of the Punjab SPC, Dr. Jasbir Singh, said the council has invited applications from working pharmacists and pharmacy teachers.

However, preference will be given to post-graduates, but it is not a mandatory provision. He said proper implementation of Section 42 of the pharmacy act will be done in Punjab from 2023 onwards.

Kerala was the first state in the country that appointed pharmacy inspectors under section 26 to implement section 42.

Section 26

49[26A. Inspection
(1) A State Council may, with the previous sanction of the State Government, appoint
Inspectors having the prescribed qualifications for the purposes of Chapters III, IV and V
of this Act.
(2) An Inspect may-
(a) inspect any premises where drugs are compounded or dispensed and submit a
written report to the Registrar ;
(b) enquire whether a person who is engaged in compounding or dispensing of drugs
is a registered pharmacist ;
(c) investigate any complaint made in writing in respect of any contravention of this
Act and report to the Registrar ;
(d) institute prosecution under the order of the Executive Committee of the State
Council ;
(e) exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of
Chapters III, IV and V of this Act or any rules made thereunder.

Section 42

42.Dispensing unregistered sons
(1) On or after such date as the State Government may be notification in the Official
Gazette appoint in this behalf, no person other than a registered pharmacist shall
compound, prepare, mix, or dispense any medicine on the prescription of a medical
practitioner 66[***] :
Provided that this sub-section shall not apply to the dispensing by a medical
practitioner of medicine for his own patients, or with the general or special sanction of
the State Government, for the patients of another medical practitioner :
67[Provided further that where no such date is appointed by the Government of a State,
this sub-section shall take effect in that State on the expiry of a period of 68[eight years]
from the commencement of the Pharmacy (Amendment) Act, 1976.
(2) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine not exceeding one
thousand rupees or with both.
(3) Cognizance of an offence punishable under this section shall not be taken except
upon complaint made by 69[order of the State Government or any officer authorised in
this behalf by the State Government, or by order of the Executive Committee of the State
Council.]