New Delhi: The chemist shops are supposed not to sell medicines without the qualified doctor's prescription but most of them have been doing this illegality all these years. The government has now woken up to this malaise and decided to grant legality to it to promote self-care by patients by allowing the sale of a score of medicines without prescription and by any shop that may not have a chemist's licence, without compromising the health issues. Medicines will be listed separately in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules that can be sold like any cosmetics.
The Drug Advisory Committee has approved the proposal and a sub-panel headed by Haryana drug controller NK Ahuja set up by it has drawn up the list of the medicines that can be sold over the counter (OTC) and the rules for their dispensation. The sub-panel's recommendations on the basis for putting the drugs in the OTC lists were approved in principle by the drug advisory committee last month, agreeing to amend the schedule for creating a new group of medicines that can be sold by anybody without licence and without the prescription of the registered medical practitioner.
Sources said the sub-panel has been now tasked to draw up the list of the general medicines, conditions for their dispensation and amendment in the Drug and Cosmetics Rules to incorporate these medicines. The new rules will be notified, once the sub-panel report is received. The patients will no longer have to go to the doctor for the ordinary diseases like cold and fever as they can buy the drugs directly from the shop. It will help in reducing the cost of treatment, the sources added.