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DIMAPUR — The Naga Students' Federation has extended its unequivocal support and solidarity to the Nagaland Medicine Dealers' Association (NMDA) in connection with the one-day token strike observed across the state on May 20.
In a press statement, the federation acknowledged the concerns raised by chemists and druggists across the state regarding the alleged unchecked proliferation of unregulated e-pharmacies, predatory pricing practices by large corporate entities, and policy measures that continue to adversely affect local pharmaceutical retailers and community chemists.
The federation asserted that there can be no compromise on matters concerning public health, safety, and access to genuine medicines. It called for complete transparency, accountability, and strict regulatory oversight at every level of procurement, storage, distribution, and sale of medicines and medical supplies.
The federation cautioned the department concerned to ensure that the supply of substandard medicines, expired drugs, counterfeit products, or inferior medical materials is dealt with firmly and penalised without exception.
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It also expressed concern over individuals and entities engaged in the supply and sale of medicines without proper licences, statutory permissions, professional credentials, and regulatory approvals.
In the interest of safeguarding public health, the federation urged the authorities concerned to thoroughly examine and strengthen the existing mechanisms adopted for quality testing and verification of medicines and medical supplies procured by the state. Laboratories and agencies engaged for quality assurance must themselves be duly accredited, competent, and subjected to regular scrutiny.
The federation also called for a proper review and verification of internal audit reports and inspection reports; credentials of all firms and suppliers engaged, including valid drug licences and all statutory licences/permissions required for the procurement, storage, transportation, and supply of medicines and medical components; and physical inspections of the locations, godowns, warehouses, and storage facilities maintained by each firm/supplier to ensure compliance with prescribed standards and storage norms.
It maintained that any firm or supplier found involved in non-compliance, undue delay, supply of substandard materials, falsification of records, or violation of procurement norms must be penalised and blacklisted in accordance with the law.