BHUBANESWAR: The Health and Family Welfare Department appears to be a willing collaborator in the free sale of Schedule-H medicines in the State. Earlier this month, the department had announced a statewide crackdown on stores selling regulated medicines without prescription but there is no visible action on the ground.
The ‘prescription only’ drugs are still freely available at most pharmacies and medicine stores across the State on demand without any valid prescription thereby endangering public health. Take an instance of one Bijay Das, a resident of Bhubaneswar, who approached a medicine store in the Capital City for a higher antibiotic, a Schedule-H drug and he was not only provided the medicine but also without a single question on the prescription.
In the wake of the damning report of Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) on the easy availability of medicines without prescription in the State, the department had asked the Drugs Controller to form district-level squads for strict monitoring of sale of medicines and initiating punitive actions against violators. Curiously, the State Drugs Control administration does not have any clue if the directions have been carried out and district-level squads formed or raid conducted anywhere. The medicine stores, thus, continue to take advantage of the laxity and indulge in the practice.
Providing Schedule-H drugs to customers without prescriptions has grave implications for public health and life. Indiscriminate sale of unprescribed antibiotics is also a major problem. A recent global study indicated that around 75 per cent of antibiotic requests and 60 per cent of consultations related to symptoms of infectious diseases resulted in the supply of antibiotics without a prescription.
“Consumption of antibiotics without a prescription is often associated with incomplete or shorter treatment courses besides the inappropriate drug and dose choices. Its irrational use could have a number of consequences,” said Dr Anil Mohanty, a medical specialist.
Drugs Controller Hrushikesh Mohapatra said the Drugs Inspectors have been asked to create awareness and submit reports on the sale of prescription-only medicines. “I can tell about the status only after I get the reports,” he said.
The Drugs Controller, interestingly, shifted the blame from lax enforcement by his own department to public responsibility. People getting medicines without a prescription to lodge complaints, so that action can be initiated against violators. "But the fact is, people are more than happy to get medicines over the counter. Why would they object to the ease of access?", he asked.