The Kerala Government Pharmacists’ Association Kozhikode District Committee has urged the State government to repeal the order that allows nurses in Public Health Sub Centres to dispense medicines for lifestyle diseases.
A meeting of the association here on Tuesday pointed out that the order issued by the Director of Health Services in October was against the law on various accounts.
As per the law, it is the duty of qualified pharmacists to dispense medicines that are prescribed by the public health practitioners.
Any one else undertaking the job is a crime liable to imprisonment and fine as per the Indian Pharmacy Act 1948, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1942 and as per the Central government’s Pharmacy Practice Regulation issued in 2015. The State Human Rights Commission and various courts in several instances have supported this as well.
However, as per the recent order, the public can avail themselves of medicines for lifestyle diseases from the Public Health Sub Centres in various panchayats.
Ironically, these sub centres do not have either a doctor or a pharmacist in the staff, but only trained nurses who are not qualified to carry out the order.
“These are very important medicines and even a slight mistake could have far reaching consequences,” said M.K. Premanandan, the district secretary of the association.
The association claimed that the order was vague, and could only confuse and pressurise the employees.
this article is from The Hindu
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