Anti-drug crackdown: Punjab chemists’ body decides to stop sale of anxiety, pain relief drugs

The Punjab Chemists Association has directed approximately 27,000 wholesale and retail chemists across Punjab to halt the sale of habit-forming, narcotic, and psychotropic medicines, including pregabalin. The decision, scheduled to take effect from October 25, is a response to an intensified anti-drug crackdown by the state government and the Punjab Food and Drug Administration.

According to association representatives, the crackdown followed concerns over drug misuse and an anti-drug activist's murder in the Jhota case where pregabalin was reportedly at the centre of controversy. While licensed chemists are legally permitted to dispense these drugs with valid physical prescriptions, the association alleges that authorities have been unfairly penalizing legitimate businesses over minor paperwork discrepancies and bills.

Association leaders stated that frequent inspections and penalties amount to harassment, leading to chemists being wrongly branded as drug peddlers. They have instructed members to return their stock of these medicines to distributors and suggested that the government make the drugs available through public health facilities like civil hospitals and Jan Aushadhi Kendras so genuine patients do not suffer.

In response to the announcement, a senior Health Department official and a Zonal Licensing Authority stated that they had not received any official communication regarding the halt. Authorities maintained that any legal violations by chemists would continue to be dealt with in accordance with the law, depending on the offenses established during inspections.

Not yet reported: The articles do not specify the final resolution between the chemists' association and the state government or whether patient care was successfully transitioned to government outlets.