Doctors cannot run drug stores without licence: FCC
• Observes Pharmacy Act and Drugs Act perform different legal functions • Sets aside 2023 PHC order restraining regulatory action ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Friday ruled that a registered medical practitioner (doctor) may prescribe and dispense medicine to his own patient within the scope of Section 31(4)(a) of the Pharmacy Act 1967, but cannot maintain a medical store…
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) of Pakistan ruled on Friday that registered medical practitioners cannot operate medical stores or retail drug outlets without a licence under the Drugs Act 1976. The decision sets aside a June 5, 2023 order from the Peshawar High Court, which had restrained regulatory action against these practitioners.
The FCC emphasized that registration as a doctor does not exempt them from the licensing requirements of the Drugs Act. The controversy arose when doctors were found maintaining dispensaries within their clinical establishments and selling pharmaceutical drugs without the necessary licences. The FCC's verdict highlights the distinct legal functions of the Pharmacy Act and the Drugs Act, with the latter being more comprehensive in regulating the import, export, manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of drugs.
The ruling underscores the importance of the licensing system in the pharmaceutical sector for the protection of public health, and clarifies that the right to enter a profession is subject to qualifications prescribed by law, including the licensing requirement for pharmaceuticals.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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