At a time when reports on banning retail medicine shops from allowing discounts to customers do the rounds and the same has dragged people at the receiving end, the Darjeeling district committee of Bengal Chemists and Druggists Association (BCDA) has claimed that it has not issued any such order. The association, however, cautioned wholesale and retail medicine traders against compromising with the standard of drugs and on remaining alert on substandard medicines.

There are talks that the BCDA has banned medicine stores in Siliguri from giving away discounts on medicines from 1 July. Many people, especially pension holders and low income groups benefit from the 10 to 17 percent discount that many chemists offer. Many retail medicine stores have informed their customers that they would not be able to sell medicines on discount from 1 July. They have, however, opposed the move.

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“Many things are said about the BCDA that we have asked retail traders to stop giving discounts on medicines to the people. But the allegations are not true, we did not issue any such order because it is up to them to decide on giving discounts or not and we cannot intervene in it. We are only concerned that while making profit, the traders, both wholesale and retail, should be watchful that any substandard medicine is not stored and does not reach the people,” said the district BCDA secretary, Bijay Gupta.

There are around 800 wholesale and retail medicine traders in Siliguri, out of which around 50 percent are retail sellers. The monthly turnover is around Rs 30-35 crore. In retail trade, a trader can make profit of 10% in control category, 20% in D control category while in wholesale trade, the trader can make profits of 8% and 10% in control and D control categories, respectively.

As there are many shops in Siliguri which offer discounts, there also some stores which do not give any discount, and they charge the maximum retail price. But their business has also been affected with the discount offered by other stores.

“We cannot interfere in their trade, and we cannot issue directives on whether they will offer discounts. But there should be no compromise on substandard drugs. Though there has been no complaint in Siliguri about any counterfeit drug, we would like to alert all because such medicines will harm people,” Mr Gupta said.

Counterfeit drugs are usually either contaminated or contain the wrong ingredients.

Assistant director of drugs control, directorate of drugs control, Darjeeling, Sukanya Ganguly, said they do take steps on drugs-related complaints.