The Chemists and Druggists Association has termed the new drug rules as economic murder of the chemists/druggists as there are only 4000 pharmacists in Punjab against 58,000 medicine outlets.
In a protest demonstration, the association organised outside the Rawalpindi press club against new drug rules, the chemists and druggists of Rawalpindi division threatened to go on strike if government failed to withdraw these rules.
Hundreds of chemists participated in the demonstrators and marched from Bohar Bazaar to Press Club holding banners and placards. The protestors chanted slogans to press for the withdrawal of new laws.
Chairman Punjab (Chapter) of All Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association, Malik Arshad Mehmood Awan, General Secretary Ishrat Ali Chuhan, Vice President Muhammad Ali Qazi led the rally while other office bearers Tahir Butt, Zahoor Mughal, Abdul Jabbar and Zaheer Musa were also present on the occasion. Chemists of the city also observed two hour shutter down strike during last three days.
Addressing the gathering Arshad Awan said that new drug rules were actually economic murder of the chemists as these laws were made without taking into account the ground realities. "Government is not providing doctors to medical units in the rural areas, how is it possible that every chemist had its own pharmacist", he added.
He said that if the government would not withdraw drug rules, the community would observe unlimited strike. Chemists from all over the province would hold a meeting at Lahore on February 5 to evolve the future strategy including the possibility of giving siege and sit-in of Governor House and Civil Secretariat in the provincial capital.
Awan said that the Association has brought local circumstances to the notice of former Federal Health Minister while chalking out new drug rules but in vain. He said the body had also held several meetings with ex-Chief minister Punjab, in which he accepted the plea of chemists to revive the old system for the sale of medicines.
He demanded that the 15 percent discount given to chemists by pharmaceutical industry should be enhanced to 30 percent, which is applicable in most countries of the world. He also demanded to restore the expiry replacement system to save the chemists from huge financial loss.