Violations continue even after govt seals 55 medical shops

While associations claim that pharmacies are selling products at the prices prescribed by the government and there is no shortage of supplies, violations continue across the State according to residents.

When medical shops started selling masks and hand sanitisers above the MRP, the associations urged the government to fix a standard price for the essential products. “After the government’s intervention, the shops are not selling above fixed prices.

The shops which did not adhere to the guidelines had to face action,” said SA Ramesh, president of Tamil Nadu Chemist and Drugs Association, Chennai.

Many pharmacy owners in the city said that they had trouble procuring sufficient masks and sanitisers. It affected their business, too.

“As there are no hospitals nearby, we stopped getting sanitisers and masks from March 23.

Earlier, we used to give medicines without a prescription. Once the panic buying started, we made doctors’ prescription mandatory,” Lokesh K, who works at MedPlus at Royapuram, said.

State Drug Controller K Sivabalan said that they have sealed around 55 pharmacies in Tamil Nadu. “We took action against those who violated the Drugs Prices Control Order – 2013. We shut shops which sold products above MRP and did not maintain a record of bills,” he added.