'Give Me the Report, Will Look Into It': Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Assures Probe in Fake Pharmacist Case

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has assured that proper investigation will be conducted in cases of fake pharmacists. He also said if his government is provided with the probe report, he would send it to the department concerned and get it examined.

?You can give us your report. I will ask the department concerned to look into it and definitely take action,? the chief minister said.

CNN-News18 had carried out checks at several government and private hospitals as well as medical stores and found fake pharmacists running pharmacies without any degree, without registration flouting the rules of Pharmacy Act, 1948, while dispensing medicines to people.

Talking to CNN-News18, Bihar health minister Tejashwi Yadav said: ?You did good work. We want a proper functioning of state. Will take your report in cognisance. If someone is doing wrong then he will be punished. I will ask my officers to investigate and take appropriate action action.?

Last month, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Bihar government, saying it cannot play with people?s lives. The court had taken note of a PIL alleging that fake pharmacists are running hospitals and medical stores in Bihar. The PIL was filed in Patna High Court by Mukesh Kumar, a state government employee who happens to be a registered pharmacist.

“I am a pharmacist and I noticed that fake pharmacists were operating at most places, so I thought it was my moral duty to raise my voice against such discrepancies. If there is no pharmacist at a medical store, then what’s the difference between a pharmacy and a grocery shop?" Mukesh asked.

While pharmacies are stocked with lifesaving drugs and other common medicines as well as personal care items, what if the person behind the counter is unqualified for the job? A diploma in pharmacy or a bachelor of pharmacy is a basic qualification for a practising pharmacist.

Who all were investigated?

At New Gardiner Hospital, which is a state government hospital, it was found that uncertified pharmacists were operating on behalf of a registered one. The pharmacist was selling steroids and antiviral drugs, which are strictly prohibited without prescription.

“I have an experience of more than five years; do you doubt my knowledge? I am better than a pharmacist," said the person dispensing medicines from behind the counter.

The person was advising other medicines to the customer, saying, “Arey bhaiya ek hi baat hai, combination wahi hai (It’s the same thing, the combination is the same)."

At Patna’s Ruban Woman and Child Hospital, which os a private hospital, it was found that a pharmacist registered in Uttar Pradesh was practising in Bihar.

Once again, it was seen that the pharmacist was ready to prescribe schedule ‘H’ drugs without prescription but those medicines were not available when he checked.

“I haven?t given my degree here because to practise in Bihar, I have to take a transfer from UP (he showed the certificate of the original pharmacist on behalf of whom he was working). I haven?t given my degree here, but I am working here. See, the degree is of a supervisor but I am working. You just need a certificate to run a pharmacy. The man who works here in the day time, his degree is put in our other branch of Ruban hospital. We manage drug inspectors by bribing them," said the man working at the hospital’s pharmacy.

When a customer asked for Combiflam syrup for a child, the pharmacist suggested Calpol. Asked about the fake degree, he said, “It?s possible, but risk is always there. In UP, it?s all digital. In UP, there are some colleges in Deoria, Mau, Gorakhpur, Varanasi where you can get a degree of DPharma within a year, if you pay Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 extra. If you give a little money to the Bihar (State) Pharmacy Council, you will get registration in just one to two hours. In UP, because of Yogi government, it?s tough but not impossible. I can tell you the names of the colleges."

At Patna’s Dhanvantari Medical Store in Kankarbagh area, none of the three men present at the shop was a pharmacist. One of them said the pharmacist was not there but agreed to dispense ‘schedule H’ drugs without a prescription. Asked to call the pharmacist, another one said he must be driving so would not take the call.

The person at the shop named a couple of pills for high sugar levels, but had no idea about pills for low sugar levels and suggested doctor’s intervention.

At Bhagalpur, at the pharmacy store of Shri Ram Emergency Hospital, it was found that the pharmacist’s brother dispensed the medicines. His wife and child accompanied him in the business. No prescription was required.

At Begusarai, in Crest Hospital, a student was running the pharmacy on behalf of the registered chemist. He said a copy of any pharmacist?s certificate is available for Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 and you can easily run a chemist shop. Asked about raids, the student said drug inspectors could be “easily managed". He also said in Begusarai, there were 2,000 chemist shops but hardly 100 had registered pharmacists.

What were the results of the investigation?

Here is all you need to know about the results of the investigation conducted by CNN-News18:

1. Fake pharmacists are dispensing medicines at government and private hospitals as well as other medical stores
2. Those without a requisite degree or relatives of pharmacists are selling medicines
3. Those without registration or even students are operating pharmacies
4. Those registered to practise in other states are working as pharmacists in Bihar without taking a transfer from their own state
5. Registration certificates of pharmacists at stores is merely for show
6. A lot of drugs are being sold without a prescription
7. Guidelines of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, are not being followed. Not a single pharmacist is spotted in uniform or with a badge.

What did the opposition say?

Despite a rap from the top court, state authorities continue to drag their feet in the matter. State drug controller Ravindra Sinha said, “I am not authorised to speak about anything at all. Everything is monitored by the court and a report will be submitted."

On the other hand BJP continues to up the ante and criticised the state government for the ongoing corruption in the state.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, an MP from the opposition BJP, called it a “very serious matter". “The state health department should be given more importance. What is the drug department doing? The Nitish (Kumar) government is busy buying jets; in 2024, there is no scope or vacancy of him becoming prime minister," he added.

“Government departments have completely failed. Nitish (Kumar) never listens to anything against his officers. The chief minister is not worried about the administration. Officers are taking a bribe because the CM is behind them. We are going to raise this issue with Nitish Kumar," state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal said.

What are the Pharmacy Practice Regulations of 2015?

The new ‘Pharmacy Practice Regulations 2015’ was enforced by the Pharmacy Council of India to regulate pharmacy practice in India.

1. According to the rules, drugs should be dispensed by a qualified registered pharmacists only
2. Renting registration certificate to pharmacy owners is strictly prohibited
3. Renting registration certificates without attending dispensing services is considered misconduct and subject to cancellation of registration permanently
4. During working hours, pharmacist should wear a clean white apron, a black badge plate with their name and registration number
5. The registration certificates should be displayed in public
6. Along with dispensing services, pharmacists should provide their professional services like patient counselling, adverse drug reactions reporting, and primary care to all uncomplicated simple illnesses. For this purpose, a separate cell should be arranged within the pharmacy
7. Pharmacists may charge consultation fees for their professional services
8. If any case of drug dispensing carried by unqualified persons instead of a qualified pharmacist, the public may directly lodge their complaints against the pharmacist.