The Punjab Government has tightened the noose around all such medical practitioners and chemist shop owners, who are prescribing and selling the illegal and banned drugs. The chemists who are running the shops without valid license would also be brought to the books. The Medical Education & Research Department has issued written directions to the Senior Superintendent of Police of all districts to launch a massive search operation in their respective areas to uncover the unauthorised chemist shops and the medical practitioner who are selling and prescribing banned drugs.Disclosing this here today Mr. Anil Joshi, Medical Education and Research Minister said that the state government is committed to eradicate the drug abuse from the state.
He said that now the police department has been asked join hands with the Medical Education and Research Department to discover and eradicate the sale of banned drugs. He said the Punjab Pharmacy Council has urged the SSPs of all the districts to execute search operations in all districts to collect the data of the Chemists Shops running in their areas. They have also been asked to get the license and registration number of all Chemists. The Minister said that SSP would send this information to the Pharmacy Council. The Pharmacy Council would scrutinise it and would cancel the license of all fraudulent license holders.
Joshi said that under the Pharmacy act, Drug and Cosmetic act and Narcotic act, sale of banned drugs are strictly prohibited. He said that the department would also generate awareness among the masses against the use of such banned drugs. He said in this direction the state government would take the help of all Paramedical Associations, Educational Institutions and NGOs.