Bengaluru's Chemists’ body bans unauthorised bulk sale of narcotic medicines

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru District Chemists and Druggists Association has ordered a prohibition on unauthorised and abnormal bulk supply of codeine-based narcotic cough syrups, habit-forming medicines, and drugs listed under Schedules H, H1 and X, in view of recent nationwide crackdowns on illicit narcotic and psychotropic drug diversion.

Wholesale pharmacists have been directed to supply restricted and habit-forming medicines only to validly licensed drug entities operating within the approved jurisdiction of the wholesalers, after due verification of licence validity, scope and place of business.

The association has also prohibited supply to any unlicensed or informal channels, including semi-wholesalers, sub-stockists, procuring agents, online intermediaries or entities operating without clear jurisdictional accountability. Institutional stockists have been instructed to ensure that medicines supplied for institutional use are not diverted to the open market, semi-wholesalers, sub-stockists, procuring agents, online intermediaries or any unauthorised entities.

Pharmacists have been directed to refuse and internally flag excessive or disproportionate orders.

The association has further advised members to exercise heightened due diligence in the supply of codeine-based narcotic cough syrups and injectable narcotics, and to implement internal compliance and monitoring mechanisms to identify suspicious ordering patterns, prevent diversion and safeguard the integrity of the pharmaceutical distribution chain.

Wholesalers are required to maintain complete and verifiable documentation for every transaction, including written purchase orders on official letterhead with seal and signature, a valid drugs licence and GST registration of the buyer, and proper tax invoices with batch numbers, quantities and dates.

The association also warned that any violation or deviation would invite stringent action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, in addition to serious reputational consequences.