Following the National Disaster Management instructions to maintain the record of dispensing medicines of the common flu and similar symptoms, the majority of the District Disaster Management Authority across the country has issued an order to all pharmacists in the respective states to follow the instructions and provide the record details to the civil surgeon. It also directed that registered pharmacists in the state will only be able to dispense these medicines with proper prescription by qualified healthcare practitioners.
The step is taken to ensure that there is no unreported patient/ person having influenza-like fever, cold, throat, infection flu and similar symptoms who may facilitate community transmission. Notably, in various parts of the country, symptomatic people are refusing to get tested for COVID-19 tests and have instead opted to take those medicines.
The District Disaster Management Authority of Hyderabad, Rajashtan, Sirsa (Haryana), Punjab etc. have already issued an order and requested to pharmacists to maintain a record of the name, address, contact details of such buyers/ patients of medicines for fever, cold throat infection, flu and similar symptoms, and to provide these details to the civil surgeon on a daily basis via email or watsapp. Based on the information provided by the pharmacists, civil surgeon would track the patients for COVID-19 symptoms and take all necessary steps to control the outbreak of COVID-19 under the protocol.
Sandeep Nangia, Organising Secretary, All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) and President Chemist Association Delhi said, “We are following and maintaining the records of these medicines since the time the PM Modi announced the lockdown and became more vigilant after the US President Donald Trump touted that the hydroxychloriquine (HCQ ) can act as a possible game-changer in the fight against the disease. And we will continue to do so”
Abhay Kumar, National President, Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA) said, “We have asked all my Pharmacist friends (who are associated with the Indian Pharmacist Association) of all the states to kindly cooperate and share the required information with their concerned state Health department. All the IPA State bodies are requested to approach their respective Health Ministry to implement the above request in good faith in the larger public interest.”
A state drug controller, who wished to not get quoted, commented that this exercise may cause panic in the country and many pharmacists may, therefore, opt to not sell these medicines which will create a shortage of medicine availability in the market, hence the objective will not meet. He also suggested that the order should have directly come from the Government of India with more clear guidelines/instructions instead it coming from the District Disaster Management Authority.
This exercise, with powers conferred under section 30 (2) (xviii) of the Disaster Management Act 200, directs that all medical stores/medical shops/ chemical shops including Jan Aushdhi and Doctors especially general physicians running private clinics also to maintain the record.
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