Mangaluru: Since the All India Organizations of Chemists and Druggists has called for a nation-wide bandh today, Wednesday, 14 October, urging the Union Government to stop “illegal” online sale of medicine-you don’t have to worry, since you can still buy your medicines at the pharmacies that are open at all the hospitals in the City. Apart from that if any patient or caretaker needs some emergency medicine they can directly call K V Nagaraj-Assistant Drug Controller at 9448043743. Nagaraj has said that if any hospital pharmacies deny the sale of medicines to people, they can immediately contact him.
It is learnt that Pharmacies located inside hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics in Mangaluru and also in DK will remain open to serve the needs of the sick and patients. A pharmacist at Fr Muller’s Hospital speaking to mangalorean.com said that since the strike has been called by retail and wholesome pharmacy sector, we don’t fall under that category, hence we are free to keep our pharmacy open.
According to Dr Anand Venugopal-Medical Director-KMC Hospitals in Mangaluru had said that all the pharmacies at their KMC hospitals will remain open round-the-clock, and even non-patients/outsiders can purchase their medicines at their hospital pharmacies, since they have enough stock of medicine. A staff at MedPlus pharmacy located below Mangalore Press Club said that all their outlets will be open, since they are not participating in the strike.
According to a wholesale pharmacy dealer in town who said, “Chemists across the country have called for a nationwide strike today (Wednesday) to oppose the central government’s alleged move to regularise the sale of medicines through e-pharmacies on the Internet. Internet pharmacy is a new platform for the sale of medicines for the last one year. It is completely illegal and we have even apprised higher authorities that such sale of medicines is a violation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which talks of proper prescription by doctors”
Pharmacy closed for today….. 
……Fr Mullers Medical Store Open round – the clock today 
He further said that the association of pharmacies have even submitted memorandum of demands to several authorities, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the health ministry and the Drug Controller General of India. Online sale of medicines increases the risk of adverse drug reactions or side effects, and it poses a big threat of irrational use of medicines, leading to drug addiction among the youth, affects availability of medicines in rural India and proves to be a setback to the 800,000-plus chemists and pharmacists employing nearly eight million people across the country.
So no worries- if the retail/wholesale pharmacies are closed for business today-you still can buy your medicinal requirements elsewhere- at hospital/nursing homes/clinics pharmacies, and also at MedPlus pharmacies.
