Unauthorised pharmacies

The healthcare scenario in Assam is witnessing two contrasting trends. On one hand, the number of medical colleges has gone up. Simultaneously, several specialized hospitals, particularly those related to cancer care, have come up, and facilities in government hospitals have drastically improved in the past decade. But, in sharp contrast, the number of fake doctors and unauthorized pharmacies has also increased. In the past year, the state has arrested 62 fake doctors, as disclosed by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. While the government deserves praise for its efforts to identify and arrest fake doctors, many of them appear to still be operating and endangering patients’ lives despite the crackdown. At the same time, media reports have said that there has been a mushroom growth of unauthorized pharmacies across the state. It has been reported that there are allegedly about 20,000 unauthorized and unregistered pharmacies in the state. Rules say that a qualified and registered pharmacist must be present in every pharmacy during its business hours. But the reality, as reported, is that hundreds of pharmacies have no permanent registered pharmacists. They operate their business by using the registration numbers of some registered pharmacists whose names and registration numbers appear in multiple pharmacies. This is a serious matter.