BENGALURU: The Union health ministry on Friday issued a notification stating that chemists who fail to notify the government about Tuberculosis (TB) patients approaching their stores for anti-TB drugs can face imprisonment from six months to two years.
“The clinical establishment, pharmacy, chemist and druggist failing to notify a tuberculosis patient to the nodal officer, and local public health staff failing to take appropriate public health action on receiving tuberculosis patient notification may attract the provisions of sections 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code,” the notification says.
India made TB a notifiable disease by medical labs, medical practitioners, clinics, hospitals and nursing homes on 7th May, 2012. “All pharmacies, chemists and druggists dispensing anti-tubercular medicines shall notify respective tuberculosis patients along with details of medicines and maintain a copy of prescription, the treating medical practitioner as per and shall furnish the same either electronically or in hard copy, to the nodal officer of the district,” it states.