The Haryana Department of Drugs and Administration on Monday launched a drive to check storage of cold temperature medicines and raided more than 50 shops across the state.
Haryana Health and Family Welfare Minister Anil Vij said he was continuously receiving complaints regarding the chemists turning off the main switch while closing the shop at night, due to which the refrigerators containing medicines also get turned off.
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He said with this practice the medicine requiring cold temperature like anti-rabies vaccine, insulin, tetanus etc. gets adversely affected. Vij said if such medicines are kept at a temperature higher than the prescribed freezing temperature for 72 hours, then also they lose their potency.
The minister said under this campaign checking has been done at 12 shops in Faridabad, five in Jhajjar, 11 in Gurugram, 10 in Karnal, 10 in Kurukshetra, one each in Sonipat, Panipat and 11 in Ambala.
Out of these, refrigerators were found turned off in two shops in Faridabad– Bharat Medical Store MCF-184, Main Market, Mujesar, Faridabad and Shree Balaji Medical Store, Shop No. 752, Main Market, Sector 24, Faridabad. Both these shops were sealed on the spot.
Apart from this, Anish Medical Store, Ashok Vihar, Main Palam Vihar Road, Gurugram was also sealed. Similarly, a refrigerator was found switched off in a shop in Sonepat which has also been sealed.
Vij warned the chemist shopkeepers that they should store cold temperature medicines in refrigerators properly and the wholesalers should also distribute such medicines to the retailers as per the rules, otherwise they will be punished for violation and stringent action will also be taken against the shopkeepers.
