‘Punjab Health Minister assures review of pharmacy and drug portal issues’

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Chandigarh, September 4

The Punjab Chemists Association has said Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh assured representatives of the chemist and pharmacy sector that concerns over several government portals and regulations would be addressed before further implementation.

The assurances were given during a nearly two-hour meeting at the Punjab Secretariat on September 2, according to a statement issued by the association. The association said Punjab has around 33,000 chemists and approximately 68,000 pharmacists and thanked the health minister and senior officials for giving a patient hearing to the concerns raised by the association.

The delegation raised concerns over the Punjab Drug Policy 2021, the ABDM, ONDLS, XLN and Pharmacy portals, H1 registers, pharmacists’ renewal and experience requirements, Jan Aushadhi stores and alleged illegal online and corporate drug businesses.

According to the association, the minister said the portals would not be taken forward until concerns raised by chemists were satisfactorily resolved.

On the Punjab Drug Policy 2021, the association said the minister assured it that necessary amendments would be made, with a notification expected within a week. It also said the government had agreed to consider reintroducing the old XLN Portal.

Concerns related to the ONDLS Portal would be taken up with the central government, the association said, adding that its implementation would remain on hold until issues were resolved and stakeholders consulted.

The association said the minister also assured the delegation that documents and data already available with the Punjab State Pharmacy Council would not be sought again through the Pharmacy Portal.

It said the compulsory three-year experience requirement for pharmacists would be reduced to one year, while concerns over pharmacists’ renewal and the HPR Portal would be addressed in consultation with the Pharmacy Council and the Drug Department.

The minister also assured the association that maintaining a physical H1 Register would not be made unnecessarily mandatory and that computerised sales and purchase records would be accepted, according to the statement.

On Jan Aushadhi stores, the association said regular inspections by the Drug Department had been assured, with action to be taken in cases of violations. It added that the department had also been directed to examine allegedly illegal online and corporate drug businesses and take action under the law where required.

A follow-up meeting with Punjab Health Secretary Kumar Rahul is expected to discuss the remaining issues in greater detail.

Senior health and drug department officials, including Joint Drug Commissioner Sanjiv Garg, Dr Vasudhra K, Gurvinder Singh and Amit Duggal, attended the meeting.

The Punjab Chemists Association delegation was led by its president Surinder Duggal and included Senior Vice-President Sudershan Chaudhary, General Secretary G S Chawla, Finance Secretary Amardeep Singh and Organising Secretary Rajiv Jain.