The Kerala State Drugs Control department has begun acting against medical shops displaying boards that offer arbitrary discounts on drugs.
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This follows a recent circular issued by K. Sujith Kumar, State Drugs Controller, based on the orders of the Kerala High Court. In the circular dated July 17, Mr. Sujith Kumar says that the court had on June 19 upheld the State Drugs Controller’s authority to seek an affidavit from medical shop licencees while applying for or renewing a drug licence, undertaking that they will not display discount boards with misleading or vague claims about drug prices.
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The departmental action also comes against the backdrop of a legal dispute between traditional pharmacy shops and new-generation outlets offering discounts between 20% and 80%. A section of such new pharmacies, too, had approached the High Court. Official sources say that concerns have been raised about the quality of drugs coming to Kerala via dealers not directly authorised by pharmaceutical companies.
