Medical shops in Hyderabad flout drug discount rules

The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 also prohibit misleading advertisements and impose severe penalties on violators, including fines and potential license suspension

Hyderabad: Registered medical pharmacies and drug stores in Telangana State are openly flouting rules by displaying sign boards and advertisements offering customers discounts on drugs ranging from 20 percent to 80 percent.

Often, these discounts are not offered on all drugs, leaving customers, who enter drug stores expecting savings, disappointed and cheated. Such advertising of drug discounts through boards and banners in front of medical shops violates Pharmacy Practice Regulations (PPR) 2015, which prohibit this practice.

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The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 also prohibit misleading advertisements and impose severe penalties on violators, including fines and potential license suspension.

Putting up such sign boards and advertisements means the drug stores, which are registered based on the certificate of the pharmacist, are unethically trying to solicit customers.

The Pharmacy practice regulations state that registered pharmacists should not try to solicit or canvas patients with the aim of profit motive. Registered pharmacists are not allowed to advertise discounts through boards and signs outside the medical shop on medicines because such practices can confuse patients.

“Advertising discounts of up to 80 percent on medicines in front of medical shops has become routine practice in Hyderabad,” says Dr Akula Sanjay Reddy, senior pharmacologist from Hyderabad.

“There is no regulation, as medical shops utilise unethical ways to attract customers and sell medicines. These actions constitute unfair trade practices, which should be closely monitored by regulatory authorities like DCA and the Pharmacy Council,” he said.

Dr Sanjay Reddy points out that putting a check to the practice of offering deep discounts on medicines by medical shops will also counter the flow of sub-standard and spurious drugs in Hyderabad and districts of Telangana State.

The Chapter 7 of the PPR says that soliciting of patients directly or indirectly by a registered pharmacist or by a group of registered pharmacists or by institutions or organisations is unethical. A registered pharmacist shall not make use of him or his name as subject of any form or manner of advertising or publicity through any mode either alone or in conjunction with others., the PPR says.