The Arunachal Pradesh government has initiated a statewide inspection of pharmacies and retail medicine outlets following complaints of regulatory lapses, improper storage of medicines and concerns over the availability and credentials of qualified pharmacists.
In an order issued on July 30, the Directorate of Health Services (Drugs Control Administration) directed all zonal licensing authorities and drug control officers to immediately carry out inspections of every retail pharmacy operating within their respective jurisdictions.
The inspection campaign was launched after authorities received complaints alleging non-compliance with statutory requirements, inadequate storage practices for medicines and the absence of qualified pharmacists or proper verification of their professional credentials at several outlets.
During the drive, officials will examine the validity of licences and assess whether pharmacies are adhering to the provisions of applicable drug regulations. All inspecting officers have been instructed to complete the exercise and submit detailed inspection reports to the Directorate by August 14.
According to the Directorate, the initiative is intended to ensure that medicines across the state are stored and dispensed in accordance with prescribed standards and are supplied only under the supervision of qualified professionals, thereby strengthening public health safeguards.
