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 Chitradurga District Chemists and Druggists Association has recently unveiled a dedicated 'Oushada Bhavan,' to reinforce the crucial role of brick-and-mortar pharmacies in the district. The dedicated facility seeks to enhance the professional functioning of local pharmacies, ensuring they remain a reliable source of medicines, medical devices and patient counselling services for people.
The Association sees that with the presence of the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) authorities at the inauguration, the project underscores the commitment to be updated with the new norms in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules.
In the wake of several regulatory updates that have taken place for the pharmacy trade including the new GST reform enforced from September 22, 2025, and the requirement for adherence to ethical dispensing practices under Schedule H and X, we congregated at the new Oushada Bhavan, which was inaugurated by the Karnataka FDA Additional Drugs Controller Dr Umesh S on October 26, 2025, Omkar Murthy, president, Chitradurga District Chemists and Druggists Association told Pharmabiz in a telecon.
There are 550 pharmacy outlets in Chitradurga and we need to meet on a regular basis. This is where the Oushada Bhavan or the Medicine Hall provides a centralized space for local pharmacists to engage in professional development, access resources, and collaborate on improving pharmacy services across the district, Murthy added.
Oushada Bhavan was built through a crowdsourced funding effort from pharmacies across Chitradurga. The infrastructure is thoughtfully designed, featuring a well-equipped boardroom for meetings and a mini auditorium to accommodate larger gatherings.
Dr Umesh said that an infrastructure like the Oushada Bhavan was ideally positioned to impart continuous learning for pharmacists to hone their professional skills. Furthermore, increasing competition in the market has highlighted the importance of patient counselling by pharmacists to achieve better health outcomes.
In instances where pharmaceutical products fail to meet quality standards, it is essential to promptly withdraw non-standard quality (NSQ) products from pharmacies. Effective communication becomes crucial in such situations, and this is made possible when pharmacist associations are well-networked and responsive, said Dr Umesh.
Dr. Suresh Kempaiah, Deputy Drugs Controller, Karnataka FDA emphasized the need for pharmacists to be in touch with the drugs control department and access its website on a regular basis to get prompt updates on NSQs and other regulatory matters.
Harish Jain, president, Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs, noted that Oushada Bhavan could also serve as a venue for pharmaceutical companies to host local meetings, providing a professional setting for discussions.
Dr T S Nagaraja, Principal, S J M College of Pharmacy, Chitradurga, said the Oushada Bhavan will serve as a platform for pharmacy professionals to gather and stay updated on the latest industry developments.
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