Consultative meeting on roles and responsibilities of pharmacists held
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, October 30 2023: A one-day consultative meeting was organised on the subject of the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists in controlling and selling of drugs in consonance with the healthcare of the community at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner, Hamleikhong, Ukhrul on October 27 last.

The meeting was organised by the District Health Society, Ukhrul in collaboration with the District Administration with Ukhrul District Pharmacists.

During the consultative meeting, three resolutions were adopted: i) all chemist shops should install CCTV, ii) submit documents to the Nodal Officer and iii) display sign boards along with Pharmacy Registration Number.

Consultative meeting on roles and responsibilities of pharmacists held

In his keynote address, Dr Kapangring A Shimray, CMO, Ukhrul highlighted that the main objective of the meet is to ensure that life saving drugs are not misused for mere profit making purposes.

He shed light on the Governmental rules and guidelines for opening a chemist shop and explained the importance of knowing all medicine Schedules while marketing drugs.

Advising them to follow the prescription of doctors at the time of selling drugs, the CMO also warned the pharmacists to maintain the quality of medicines.

Meanwhile, Zuringla Kengoo, DC Ukhrul urged the pharmacists to abide by the rules of Drugs & Cosmetics Act 2006 .

She maintained that drug menace is not confined to a particular area but has become pervasive in society.

The District Administration will be stringent in curbing the social menace to control drug abuse and peddlers in Ukhrul district.

Zuringla instructed all chemist shops opened in Ukhrul to renew their licence and all sub-branch shops to be channelised by obtaining their own pharmacist licence within three months.

Dr Yuithingla Vashum DACO, Ukhrul highlighted a brief scenario of drug abuse problems in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.

Risk factors in Ukhrul are very high, as drugs are available easily in all forms in the town markets.

According to the DACO survey, there are over 2800 HIV infected persons while drug addiction has high prevalence between the age group of 18- 35 years including adolescence, said Dr Yuithingla Vashum.

Strikingly, she informed of 94 overdose cases in the last 10 months in Ukhrul and 23 overdose deaths in the district hospital excluding unreported isolated cases.

More than 40 pharmacists of Ukhrul town attended the meeting.