Pharmacies fear customers taking abnormal rebate bait

New Delhi: Pharma retailers and distributors in the state have been demanding the state government to rein in online pharmacies that offer ‘abnormal’ discounts on medicines. They said that online pharmacies have become a major threat for the survival of pharma retailers and distributors in the state.

There are around 28,000 medical shops, including 8,000 medical stores in Bengaluru, employing more than three lakh people. The pharma retailers and distributors said that there would be no option for them rather than close down medical shops in the near future.

Recently, the Karnataka Pharma Retailers & Distributors Organisation (KPRDO) submitted a memorandum to Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao seeking the government’s help to mitigate their woes.

“We are happy that Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao arranged a meeting for us with government officials. We have told them about our problems. We expect some positive response,’’ said KPRDO president C Jayaram.

Jayaram said the online pharmacies have become a major threat to the pharma retailers and distributors. “The online pharmacies offer abnormal rebates against the norms. The other major issue is the entry of unauthorised people into pharma retail business. There are incidents of some people working at a medical store opening medical stores on their own after working for a few months at the medical stores owned by authorised people,’’ Jayaram said.

The KPRDO members want the state government to follow the notification issued by the Punjab State Government on the guidelines for issuing retail and wholesale drug licences. “Many unauthorised people have opened pharma stores in the state,’’ Jayaram said.

The KPRDO members also demanded that the Minister direct the authorities concerned to ensure Jan Aushadi Kendras sell only authorised medicines. “We come across branded generic medicines being sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras which is against the norms. Allowing sale of branded generic medicines at Jan Aushadhi Kendras will affect the pharma retailers,’’ said KPRDO secretary Virupakshappa Kapparshettar.

The KPRDO members said the concept of Jan Aushadhi is to supply quality medicine at affordable prices to needy people and also create job opportunities for pharmacists. “Now it has become a business. Unauthorised people are given licences to open Jan Aushadi Kendras. We offered to sell generic medicines at our medical stores by keeping separate racks to store generic medicines but in vain,’’ Jayaram said.

Crackdown begins
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Drugs Controller has issued a circular to the authorities to stop advertisements of online pharmacies offering rebates on medicines and remove boards put up in front of medical stores offering rebate on medicines. The Drugs Controller has also directed the officials to verify the stock of medicines and sales receipts at Jan Aushadhi Kendras and also take action against wholesalers who supply medicines directly to the customers. The Drugs Controller also directed the authorities to verify the attendance register of authorised persons at the medical stores and submit a report soon.