Chennai: The law says several medicines need to be stored in rooms with less than 25 degrees Celsius temperature. However, the average temperature in Chennai is around 35 degrees and retailers are yet to grasp the seriousness of installing air conditioners in their medical stores.
While there are over 45,000 pharmacies across the State, several are run without air-conditioning system. Doctors say this can result in active chemical ingredients in drugs losing their potency.
As many as 80 antibiotics and vitamins have been listed under Schedule P of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, which are required to be stored in a ‘cool place’, which the Act defines as ‘a temperature below 25 degrees Celsius’.
“Twenty per cent of all retailers in the state are yet to install air conditioners in pharmacies. The Drugs Control Department will renew their licenses only after they install it,” said S.A. Ramesh, company affairs secretary, Cosmetics and Drugs Association Chennai.
With the drugs control department trying its best to ensure that retailers in medical stores are educated on the importance of storing medicines as per the requirements, officials of Chemists and Druggists Association feel the need for the public to be aware of the same as well.
“When a customer goes to a medical store to make a purchase of a medicine that requires refrigeration, he should ensure that the medicine is taken out from a fridge,” said Thaneermalai Natarajan, association general secretary.
“The number of drug inspectors has increased as compared to the past. Inspection is done every alternate month. However, the public should be aware of the storage requirements of medicines as well,” he said.
“When there is a rule, it has to be followed. A lot of thinking and planning goes in before a law is passed and pharmacists should respect that fact,” said Jaishree Gayaraj of a women’s health clinic.
According to G. R. Ravindranath of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality, “The government should ensure there are no power cuts on a regular basis and for long hours as it could result in the medicines losing their potency.”
Assuring that all pharmacies in the State will have air conditioners within a year, Ramesh said the Drugs Control department keeps track of infrastructure and facilities of all pharmacies.
