Display boards offering arbitrary discount on drugs to face action in Kerala
Drug inspectors and assistant drugs controllers authorised to check if shops are putting up misleading advertisements that can influence the purchasing decisions of consumers
The Kerala State Drugs Control department is taking action against medical shops that display misleading discount boards on their products. Drug inspectors and assistant drug controllers are authorized to investigate such advertisements, following a recent circular issued by State Drugs Controller K. Sujith Kumar. The circular, dated July 17, was based on orders from the Kerala High Court, which ruled that the State Drugs Controller has the authority to seek affidavits from medical shop licensees when applying for or renewing their drug licences, ensuring they do not display misleading or vague discount claims.
The court clarified, however, that selling drugs below the maximum retail price is not illegal, nor is it illegal to offer actual discounts to customers. The department's action comes amid a legal dispute between traditional pharmacy shops and new-generation outlets offering discounts ranging from 20% to 80%. The All-Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA) expressed concerns that new pharmacies' discount practices may be driven by a desire to monopolize the medicine trade or source drugs from unauthorized, potentially low-quality suppliers.
The department emphasizes that all drug price announcements must be transparent, honest, clear, and easily verifiable, as existing licensees and new license applicants are required to provide affidavits as stipulated.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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