Medical shops will be remain closed today

Hyderabad May 30: It is known that Medical shops across India will remain close for today. Pharmacists owners are protesting against the Central government's proposal of the sale of medicine through an e-portal. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed to establish a robust e-enabled structure for regulating the sale of medicines in the country to ensure drugs meet the standard quality and curb antimicrobial resistance.

The pharmacists, however, are strongly opposing the move on the ground that once the e-portal structure comes into force they would have to pay an additional one percent tax. R Ravindra Gupta, President, The Greater Hyderabad Retail Medical Shops Association (GHRMSA), said, "According to the new structure medicines other than drugs included in Schedule H, H1 and X are to be dispensed only against the prescription of a registered medical practitioner. More than 50 percent of the drugs come under the schedule. Chemists would have no choice but close down shops."

The new requirement to upload records by entering details of the stock received and supplied to them including the sale of medicines on a central server. This includes all stockists, wholesalers, and distributors. The data can be entered online or through a mobile phone. Pharmacies located in rural areas can upload once a fortnight.

Government pharmacists will be opened because to help for the emergency cases, Already protest was started, we have to wait and see the results of protest.