AGARTALA, Nov 29 (TIWN): Condemning the draft amendment to Schedule K of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act Rules by the Health Ministry, the Pharmacists in Tripura joined a national-level protest today to demand that the government refrain from such a move.

Addressing media Bhargav Kar from Indian Pharmacists Association, said that governments had not adhered to several regulations, including Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1945, Pharmacy Act 1948 and Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015. The amendment of the drugs rules denies the services of pharmacists in the health sector.

“The country as sufficient trained and competent human resource for dispensing and handling of drugs, there seems no need to extend the exemptions of having untrained workforce for handling the dispensing and distribution of the drugs to Indian population. The proposed amendment of allowing cadres other than a Pharmacist to dispense and distribute the drugs would lead to erosion of quality of pharmaceutical services provided to the Indian population thus creating further challenges to health care like a) antibiotic resistance, b) over use or under use of drugs, c) therapeutic duplication, d) drug disease interactions, d) drug interactions, e) incorrect drug dosage or duration of drug treatment, g) drug allergy interactions and clinical abuse/misuse etc”, it was said in a statement.