Govt seeks to address issue of chemists forcing consumers to buy entire strip of tablets

Amid complaints about chemists insisting clients on shopping for whole strip of tablets or capsules, the Centre is making efforts to seek out some answer to guard the buyer curiosity and is holding consultations with the pharma trade. The compelled shopping for of a full strip of drugs not solely results in medical wastage but additionally put pointless monetary burden on clients.

The Division of Shopper Affairs has held the primary spherical of session with the senior representatives of pharma and medical gadgets trade, sources stated. Within the assembly, the highest officers of the Drug Controller Common of India have been additionally current.

In keeping with sources, the difficulty was mentioned at size within the assembly and the Division recommended them to discover new packing know-how for medicines.

A suggestion to undertake perforation know-how to chop the strip was made to the trade. There was additionally a advice to print manufacturing and expiry date on every strip and even use of QR code, sources added.

The division has obtained a number of shopper complaints about how chemists are insisting on promoting a whole strip of ten tablets or capsules, and refusing them to promote much less.

There are instances the place the prescription is just for a day or two and the buyer is compelled to purchase all the strip. In some instances, shoppers purchase medicines in small portions as a result of they can not afford to purchase for all the week.

In keeping with some chemists that PTI spoke to stated with fast paced medicines, they don’t have any drawback in chopping the strip and promoting the required amount of drugs to clients. In case of sluggish transferring medicines/medicine, they insist on shoppers shopping for a whole strip as a result of distributors or pharmaceutical firms refuse to take again unsold medicines if the strips are minimize.