Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association (PCRA) has condemned doctors, running their clinics and hospitals across the country for 'counter' sale of drugs to outside patients at their private commercial medical stores established without acquiring drugs sale licences.
PCRA Chairman, Ishaq Meo told PPI here on Wednesday that Punjab Drugs Rules 1988 allowed the registered medical practitioners to dispense emergency medicines to their private patients without acquiring drugs sales licence, besides imposing a restriction on them for not selling counter drugs to outdoor patients. But, the doctors were exploiting this facility by establishing private commercial medical stores without having drugs sales licences.
"Many of them have given their outlets on rent, thus earning thousands of rupees per month," he said adding that as per Drug Act 1976 drug inspectors were bound to inspect the premises where drugs were either sold or stored, but there was no check on pharmacies established by the private doctors.
Above all, the doctors having business-oriented approach did not allow the drug inspectors to check their pharmacies where smuggled and unwarranted drugs and physician samples were being sold.
He accused the multinational companies of defaming the noble medical profession by giving expensive gifts to renowned professors and doctors besides sponsoring foreign trips and hotel accommodations for them, as a result common patient had no option except to purchase expensive medicines prescribed by them.
PCRA chief demanded of the authority concerned to take immediate action against certain elements to stop this malpractice.