Doctors not to dispense medicines at primary health centres, community health centres
KOCHI: Doctors at primary health centres and community health centres where there is no pharmacist have decided not to dispense medicines to patients. The decision is based on a recent High Court order and the reply made by the health minister in the Assembly that medicines should not be dispensed in the absence of qualified pharmacist. In many PHCs, JPHN (junior public health nurse) or staff nurse dispenses drugs. The state committee meeting of the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association on August 27 will take a formal decision in this regard.
“There are many PHCs and CHCs in the state which are functioning without pharmacist or even staff nurse. There will be only one or two doctors and JPHNs in most of the centres. Since there are many lookalike medicines, the unqualified JPHNs may not be able to dispense medicines properly. Though non-dispensing of drugs will cause difficulties to public, we are apprehensive over the legal consequences to be faced by doctors if medicines are dispensed by unqualified staff,” said KGMOA general secretary Dr. A.K. Raoof. Though PHCs and CHCs have the posts of pharmacists, most of the posts remain vacant.
“In Ernakulam district, there are several centres which are functioning without pharmacist or even staff nurse like Nayarambalam PHC,” said Dr. P.K Sunil, district president of KGMOA. To a question submitted by Mr M.K Muneer MLA during the Assembly session on August 7, Health Minister K.K Shailaja replied that as per the High Court order in December 2016, medicines cannot be dispensed in hospitals or medical shops where there are no qualified pharmacists. It has been strictly instructed that only qualified pharmacists should dispense medicines at government hospitals and dispensaries, the minister said.
Based on a petition filed by the Kerala Pharmacists Organisation, the High Court issued the directive that all medical shops in private and public sector and all medicine dispensing units in private and public sector are bound to follow the provisions of the respective Acts and Rules and Regulations, 2015.
