chandrapur the food and drug administration fda has suspended 27 licenses for temporary period after the pharmacist was found missing from the chemist shops according to rule a pharmacist has to be at the chemist shop when the shop is open but during surprise inspection the fda found 27 shops violating this provision the licence of these shops have been for suspended to a period ranging between 15 and 30 days fda sources claimed that the action has been initiated in wake of directive issued by state fda commissioner earlier the department was didnt take any action for these types of violations those found repeatedly guilty of such violations were punished with small suspension terms of twothree days sources said after fda commissioner discovered that the fda officers at local level are much lenient and many violators go without proper punishment he directed every fda office to take stringent action against such violators we have suspended the chemists licenses for 15 to 30 days where pharmacists were found missing during inspection similar assessment of all chemist shops is underway and whoever found guilty of violation would invite strong action said assistant commissioner of fda chandrapur sunil jambhulkar sources claimed that fda could increase the suspension period up to six months if these shops dont fall in line the action has scared the retailers any suspension for three to six months could lead to expiry of large quantity of drugs in the shop moreover wholesalers have become cautious on lending medicines to nonpharmacist retailers said a chemist chemist and druggist leader mukund dubey however blamed fda for such violation the process of issuing chemist licenses is flawed and full of loopholes the related law dates back to 1945 and have seen little amendments since then time has changed and so there is a need to amend the law as per needs of modern days he said nonqualified people take advantage of loopholes in process and obtain chemists licenses fda should make the process infallible dubey said he also lambasted the rising practices of doctors seeking chemist licenses themselves or in the name of their relatives or partners of those licenses suspended by fda a few are chemists shops run at nursing home or have some connection with doctors fda is now demanding sale and purchase details of medicines from chemist shops why dont the department ask the same from doctors who purchase large quantity of medicines but keep no record of its dispensing similarly income tax and sales department should also inquire into this practice of doctors dubey demandedthe usual practice there are around 1200 retail and wholesale chemist and druggist shops in district but the practice of running a chemist shop on borrowed licenses or making a pharmacist a dummy partner in business to start a chemist shop is rampant in this business in such cases chemists shop owners fail to keep mandatory pharmacist in the shop all the time and the same violation has invited strong action this time