[india-drug] Re: Sale of household remedies (15)

["HINDU PHARMACY" <pharmhin@sancharnet.in>]

Sale of household remedies (15)
*********** 

Dear Dr. Ashwin,

Your idea of creating retail sales agents for household remedies 
needs to be viewed in a larger perspective, both in terms of legality 
and future consequences.

I have a few queries :

1. What are the household remedies in your list ?
2. What is the population of the villages in which you plan to start 
this programme ?
3. How many of these 8 teachers are in the same village ?
4. How many medical stores exist in each of these villages ?
5. How many doctors exist in each of these villages identified ?
6. By saying that doctor's will provide training these enterpreneurs 
in "dispensing the medicine", did you mean diagnosing the illness 
and/or  teaching them the precautions in storage, dosage, and 
contraindications ?

My worry is that you are encouraging these people to sell household 
remedies. Soon they will have demands for other medicines, and since 
business is good, they are likely to be tempted to stock more types 
of  remedies (including some prescription medicines). Soon they will 
be diagnosing and treating illnesses of people, and become quacks. Is 
there some way that you can ensure that such things do not happen ?

My other apprehensions will be based on the answers you will provide 
to my above questions.

With regards

Raj Vaidya, M.Pharm,
Vice President & Chairman,
Indian Pharmaceutical Association - Community Pharmacy Division
&
Community Pharmacist,
Hindu Pharmacy,
Panaji - Goa - India
Tel : 91-832-2223176, 2432903
Email : pharmhin@sancharnet.in