Assam Pharmacy Council (APC) To Innovate App for Bridging Gap Amid Registered Pharmacists

* Move to help link pharmacists’ registration numbers with Aadhaar: Assam Pharmacy Council

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 8: The Assam Pharmacy Council (APC) is planning a mobile App to bridge the ‘gap’ among registered pharmacists in the State.

In the keyword ‘gap’, the Council encompasses everything which the registered pharmacists in the State ought to do and follow. According to the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940 and the Pharmacy Act, 1948, only one pharmacy can be opened with the registration of a pharmacist. And the pharmacist concerned should remain present in the pharmacy when it is open. However, this rule is grossly violated in Assam.

Talking to this reporter, APC president MC Deka has said: “A lot of monkey business is going on in the pharmacies in the State concerning registered pharmacists. To run a pharmacy, a registered pharmacist is a must. And a registered pharmacist can work only in one pharmacy. However, there are allegations of pharmacies being run in the State with inadequate number of pharmacists or even without pharmacists. There are also allegations of pharmacists working in more than one pharmacy. This is gross violation of the existing laws. A pharmacy being run without any registered pharmacist or inadequate number of registered pharmacists is fraught with the danger of improper medication.”

The Association of Registered Pharmacists, Assam (ARPA) has, on the other hand, alleged that there are around 3,000 fake pharmacists working in the State. And this has worsened the situation.

According Deka, theirs is a cure-all move to streamline the system of medication in the State. “The proposed App is going to integrate all registered pharmacists in the State and help link their registration numbers with aadhaar. This system will enable one to know details of registered pharmacists of the State just by a click on the mobile App. This move has met with success in Kerala and the link to aadhaar is in practice in Uttar Pradesh. We’re holding talks with a Bangaluru-based firm to get the App developed. This apart, we’re planning to introduce high-tech identity cards for each and every registered pharmacist of the State who should display it while providing medicines. Also in the offing is mandatory signature on cash memos by pharmacists while providing medicines, besides wearing white uniform while on duty.”

There are as many as 9,381 registered pharmacists in Assam.