 The future of the pharmacy trade lies in blending tradition with innovation, where licensed pharmacists remain the cornerstone of healthcare, strengthened by digital tools for traceability, expiry management, and patient counselling, said B Thirunavukkarasu, President, The Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association in an interview with Nandita Vijayasimha. Excerpts:
How would you describe the current scene of pharmacy trade in the country?
The pharmacy trade in India is at a crossroads. On the one hand, it is the lifeline of public health, ensuring access to medicines through 10 lakh retail outlets, on the other, there are mounting threats from unauthorized channels, counterfeit infiltration, and unregulated online practices. Particularly in Karnataka, we have observed medicines being routed through unauthorized distributors, semi-wholesalers, and procuring agents, bypassing appointed CFAs and stockists. This not only destabilizes ethical chemist operations but also opens the door for counterfeit and spurious drugs. Today, pharmacy trade is increasingly reduced to a mere business where the pursuit of profit overshadows ethics, and greed threatens to eclipse the noble purpose of healing. Thus, while the trade has resilience, the environment is fraught with risks that demand urgent correction.
What are the visible trends in pharmacy trade that you sight being in the business for a while?
The most significant trend is the reckless experimentation by certain health-tech start-ups, often under the guise of innovation, whose underlying intent appears to be the systematic dismantling of ethical pharmacy retail. By reducing healthcare to the level of e-commerce and quick commerce, they have promoted the unregulated online sale of medicines, unauthorized tampering and repacking of statutory medicine strips, and the proliferation of misleading and anti-competitive advertisements. Disturbingly, even large retail chains like Med-Plus have engaged in repeated, retargeted campaigns on social media platforms that psychologically manipulate consumers, exploit vulnerabilities, and erode the credibility of licensed pharmacists. What should remain a trusted, patient-centric profession is instead being converted into a form of digital pickpocketing and undermining both public health and ethical practices.
With many obstacles facing the pharmacy trade, what are the key problems that remain unresolved and demand prompt action?
Several critical problems remain unresolved and demand urgent intervention. Foremost is the dereliction of duty by regulatory authorities such as the CDSCO and State Licensing Authorities, who since 2018 have failed to formulate and enforce a clear legal framework for online sale of medicines, despite directions from the judiciary. Equally concerning is the misuse or overriding of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act and the DPCO by invoking provisions of the Information Technology Act, creating dangerous regulatory loopholes. With the rise of digital pickpocketing, antimicrobial resistance, and tech-driven malpractice, enforcement can no longer rely on outdated methods.
Recently, BDCDA has emerged as a key voice for the pharmacy trade. What challenges or developments prompted this increased involvement?
The pharmacy trade in India rests on the strength of associations, from the taluk level up to the national level, whose duty is to safeguard both the integrity of the trade and the health of the public. Since assuming the role of President in June 2023, I have studied the challenges and connecting the dots, with the guidance of my senior colleagues, support of my backend team & whistle-blowers who have worked to bring these issues to light. BDCDA chose to become a strong voice because silence was no longer an option: ‘If Not Now – Then When & If Not We - Then Who’.
When unauthorized supplies infiltrated Karnataka, we issued urgent advisories. When counterfeit medicines surfaced, we demanded enforcement. When expired drug disposal rules lacked clarity, we offered detailed operational models. And when health-tech start-ups repacked medicines illegally or e-commerce platforms ran manipulative advertisements, we escalated matters to the Competition Commission of India and the regulators for a suo-moto investigation. These repeated threats have compelled us to emerge as a united, ethical, and vigilant voice of pharmacists and also the general public.
In light of the new guidance on safe disposal of expired and unused drugs, what operational challenges does BDCDA foresee?
The guidance on safe disposal of expired drugs is laudable, but operational hurdles are many. Issues such as handling cut strips, monopoly PCD (Propaganda Cum Distribution) medicines, expired generics with high margins, and expired surgical products with inflated MRP remain unaddressed. Retailers face impractical return timelines, batch number mismatches, and the absence of collection infrastructure. We have recommended a biomedical waste agency-led model with digital traceability, universal brand coding, block chain-based batch registries, and interlinked software systems. Such mechanisms will ensure accountability and prevent expired stock from re-entering circulation.
Your Association has cautioned about the growing threat of unauthorized distribution and counterfeit drug infiltration in Karnataka. Could you elaborate on the scale of this issue and the steps needed to mitigate it?
Post-Covid, counterfeit drugs have surged by nearly 50 per cent, yet even when 26 medicines were flagged as spurious or misbranded, enforcement remained minimal. Manufacturers must also take bold corrective steps by suspending the distributorship of any authorized stockists found supplying to illegal semi-wholesalers or procuring agents, or indulging in unlawful discounts and offers. This crisis amounts to ‘National Public Health Terrorism’ and demands the urgent formation of a dedicated State Task Force led by senior IPS officers, supported by the Karnataka FDA and local police, also alternatively a QCI-led mechanism, to dismantle counterfeit networks and safeguard public health.
Considering the growing threat of counterfeit drug networks, BDCDA has recommended the formation of a dedicated state-level task force. What roles and responsibilities do BDCDA envision for this task force?
The rise of digital crime, online scams, and what we term “digital pickpocketing” has created fertile ground for counterfeit medicines. To address this menace, the State FDA alone is not equipped to act effectively. BDCDA has recommended the creation of a high-level state task force led by senior IPS officers, supported by the Karnataka FDA, police, narcotics control authorities. The Karnataka State police is already backed by strong intelligence networks and advanced cyber-security capabilities, are uniquely positioned to complement regulatory efforts. The responsibilities of this task force must include intelligence gathering, state-wide search and seizure operations, coordinated prosecution of offenders, strict action against narcotics-related violations, and public awareness campaigns. Without such an empowered body, counterfeit networks will continue to thrive. Given the escalating risks, its formation is urgent and should not be delayed beyond the next three months.
The increasing cases of QR code counterfeiting have prompted the pharma industry to adopt secure packaging and continuous data protection strategies. From a pharmacist or trader's perspective, how feasible and impactful are these measures in ensuring authenticity and patient safety?
As technology advances, criminals too have become technology-driven, and the replication of QR codes has emerged as a major setback for the industry. To safeguard authenticity and patient safety, packaging must combine overt and covert security features, backed by secure packaging and continuous data protection strategies. A fool proof, centralized data monitoring system, integrated with trace-and-track mechanisms using block-chain, is essential to restore consumer trust and protect the integrity of the supply chain.
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