Chemists want printing of MRP on all drugs

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, OCT. 7. A meeting of chemists and druggists of the city has demanded that the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) be printed along with the local taxes on all the medicines to end the confusion in the minds of customers.

The meeting organised by the Andhra Pradesh Chemists & Druggists Association (APCDA) wanted to know why only medicines did not carry the MRP inclusive of taxes, while the facility was extended to all other goods. In the absence of such facility, the consumers as well as the chemists were facing problems.

Mr. Ramesh Chandra Gupta, president, APCDA, said unhealthy competition between the chemists would prove to be a disaster for the trade itself in view of the stringent Government laws that have come into effect recently. New Government laws like storing all the drugs below 25 degrees centigrade would increase the costs and in this scenario underselling and unhealthy competition would harm the interests of traders, he said.

Unless proper taxes are collected from the customers to maintain all the standards prescribed by the Government the chemists would suffer. He wanted them to boycott the chemists who deviate from "legal and ethical" business.

When a chemist raised the question of underselling by Apollo Pharmacy, which was selling less than the MRP rate, he said the matter would be taken up with the Apollo Pharmacy.

Besides these, the chemists were also exposed to the changes in the drug policy of the Government, new laws which have come into effect and the hike in drug licence fee. Mr. K. Subbi Reddy, Asst. Director, Drugs Control Administration, explained the changes in the drug laws.

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