Last Updated on January 12, 2025 by The Health Master
Discount Pharmacies
The speedy growth of discount pharmacies in the country has raised serious concerns among the pharmacists and healthcare providers with respect to the quality of medicines.
The Kerala state president of the All India Public and Private Sector Pharmacists Association (AIPPSPA), Viswanathan Thankachan, has criticized the unethical practices by the discount pharmacies.
Discounted Pricing and the Risk of NSQ Drugs
Thankachan argues that the discount offers by these pharmacies generally come at the cost of quality.
By offering the low prices, they may procure the medicines from unauthorised sources, which may increase the risk of encountering spurious, counterfeit, expired, or any not of standard quality (NSQ) drugs.
He emphasizes that the discounted pricing practice by these discount pharmacies may increase malpractices.
Need for Transparency
Thankachan highlights the lack of transparency in the operating process of these discount pharmacies.
He also emphasizes that consumers have a right to know how much the discount is and on which medicines.
They must display the rate list of the medicines so that customers can know the rates. Kerala High Court has already passed a directive regarding the discounts on the medicines.
Call for Action
Thankachan has called upon the drug control departments to take prompt action to address these issues.
He has demanded the implementation of stricter regulations by the drug departments, as under:
- Frequent, regular, and rigorous inspections of all the discount pharmacies are required for ensuring the quality of medicines and regulatory compliance.
- An investigation must be done regarding the source of medicines from where the medicines have been acquired by discount pharmacies so that it can be identified and the sale of spurious or NSQ drugs can be stopped.
- Strict enforcement of the High Court directive regarding the display of price lists for all discounted medications for the transparency of rates of the medicines.
1. What are the issues regarding discount pharmacies in Kerala?
Issues of sale of spurious, counterfeit, expired, or not of standard quality (NSQ) medicines due to the discounting practices.
Lack of transparency regarding discounted medicines.
2. What actions are demanded by the AIPPSPA?
More frequent, strict, and rigorous inspections of discount pharmacies.
Investigation into the source of acquisition of the medicines.
Strict enforcement on the requirements of displaying the price list of medicines.
Disclaimer: This article contains information obtained from the source mentioned below. Our team made changes in the format to rewrite and present the news or article in a unique format.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns.
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