CHENNAI: Soon, every single medical shop across the country will have to prominently sport a sticker urging it’s patrons to send an e-complaint if they’re being overcharged. This was to popularise the recent initiative — Pharma Jan Samadhan (PJS) — online consumer redressal forum accessed via smartphone, Dr V K Subburaj, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, said on Friday.
“The PJS was launched to handle the growing number of complaints that pharmacies are overcharging or not selling certain medicines that are affordable. But, it has not reached the public the way we imagined. To ensure that everybody knows about it, we will get all pharmacies to sport stickers with the website address prominently,” he explained.
Speaking at the inauguration of Pharmac South 2015, a pharma trade expo for manufacturers across South India here, he made it clear that consumer complaints were being taken very seriously. “When it’s a question of quality or pricing, we do not deliberate over it. Immediate action is taken. With the online system, it will only be easier,” he added. Accessed via the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority website, PJS primarily takes complaints relating to overpricing of scheduled medicines, non-availability, sale of unlicensed medicines and refusal to sell a particular brand.
Pharmac South is being organised by the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, Pharmexcil and other pharma majors at the Chennai Trade Centre and will be open till July 4.