Baramulla: Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Mohammad Aijaz Asad on Wednesday ordered a special inspection drive during which chemist shops and diagnostic centres were inspected in terms of compliance with various legalities, norms and regulations.
The inspection was conducted by the concerned SDMs whereas in Baramulla and Sopore it was conducted by General Manager DIC Baramulla and ADC Sopore respectively.
On the occasion, 153 chemist shops and several diagnostic centres were inspected comprising 16 in Tangmarg, 21 in Uri, 40 in Sopore, 38 in Pattan, 08 in Kreeri and 30 in Baramulla. During the inspection, 09 chemists were found involved in the violation of requisite medical norms and regulations and their operation was subsequently seized by the visiting magistrates. The drug licences of these 9 pharmacy shops were suspended.
Moreover, operations in 6 diagnostic centres were suspended for violation of requisite regulations. Those include 2 (Helpline Digital Diagnostic Centre Kunzer and New Scientific Clinical Laboratory Kunzer) in Tangmarg, 3 (Lone Diagnostic Centre Uri, Mansoor Laboratory Uri and Biocare Laboratory Uri) in Uri and 1 (New Alnoor Diagnostic Centre Pattan) in Pattan.
The DC said that during inspections, special attention was given to check whether the actual pharmacist is present or not and whether the sale of prescribed drugs is being carried out in the absence of registered pharmacist, and also attention was given to validity of the licences.
He further said that continuous monitoring would be carried out in future as well and if any unauthorised shop/drug is detected, then action would be initiated as per law.

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