The Health and Family Welfare Department has laid down that in order to run a medicine store one has to be a pharmacist. But in western Odisha more than 95 per cent of the medical stores are run by hired pharmacists. According to sources, opening a medical store is very easy in Bargarh district. No pharmacy education is essential. The only requisite for owning a medicine store is the capital that needs to be invested. But the rot lies in the way the store owners make money here. Since they spend lakhs of rupees in opening a medical store and also hire pharmacists, they make money by selling duplicate medicines, alleged sources.
The Health Department has raided many stores andpunished the guilty but these days the officials are slacking. The dishonest store owners are making money by selling adulterated and duplicate drugs.
The druginspectors office in Bargarh is run from a family quarter and the officials are neglecting their duties. So it is demanded in Bargarh to investigate the matter and take action against the guilty.