Over 50% Nashik district pharmacies yet to install CCTVs

NASHIK: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in Nashik has started visiting pharmacies across the district and convincing the owners to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on their premises.
There are around 4,900 chemists across the district. Assistant director of Nashik FDA (drugs) Vijay Jadhav said, “Our drug inspectors regularly visit pharmacies in their respective jurisdictions. As of now around 50% chemists have installed CCTVs at their stores.”
Vijay Jadhav, in-charge joint commissioner (drugs) of FDA Nashik division said, “Our inspectors have been appealing to the pharmacy owners to ensure that they set up CCTVs at the earliest.”
He added, “On the recommendation of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the district collector had issued instructions about setting up of CCTVs at pharmacies to prevent sale of scheduled drugs without doctor’s prescription. A good percentage of chemists in rural parts of the district are lagging behind in setting up of CCTVs owing to financial constraints. Nonetheless, the drug inspectors were continuously instructing them to get the cameras installed at the earliest.”
The drug inspectors are also appealing to the chemists to start computerized billing of medicines sold to the customers. The district administration is keen on installation of CCTVs at the drug outlets so that random examination of the CCTV footage can be carried out to prevent sale of scheduled drugs without doctor’s prescription.