With no drug assessors, pharmacies make hay

The department of AYUSH has claimed that traditional medicines were fast catching up but has failed to fill up the post of drug inspector who check shops selling the medicines.

The state does not have a single drug inspector for homoeopathy; the post fell vacant after bifurcation, said an official.

There were three posts of drug inspector for Ayurveda and two for Unani. After the bifurcation, the state is left with one drug inspector each for ayurveda and unani.

“Ayurveda, unani and homoeopathy are different, it is impossible for a drug inspector to inspect all the medical stores,” said a drug inspector.

With the number of private clinics offering traditional medicines having gone up, new pharmacies have come up and are being run without licences.

A drug inspector said, “We come to know of such pharmacies when the police or locals approach us with a complaint.”

The drug inspectors have to not only check the records and stocks at the pharmacies but they also have to collect samples and send them to the laboratories for analysis. Due to the shortage of staff, this is presently not being done.

Mr A. Rajendar Reddy, incharge commissioner, AYUSH, said the department had informed the government of the situation, and the posts would be filled up soon.

“We are also writing to the government to increase the number of posts of drug inspectors to effectively check fraudulent pharmaciies. Recruitments will be done through Telangana Public Service Commission,” he said.