Nurses cannot Dispense Medicines: High court turns Government order

KOCHI: Giving their decision on the petition filed by M Sabira regarding the distribution of medicines through unqualified pharmacists, Kerala High Court has detained the government order enabling junior public health nurses to dispense drugs as it can't be sustained under the law.

M Sabira, of Malappuram, had filed a petition challenging the order of the Director of Health Services (DHS) regarding the distribution of medicines through unqualified pharmacists on which the court has issued the order.

According to the terms of Section 42 of Pharmacy Act, 1948, only a registered pharmacist can compound, prepare, mix or dispense any medicine on the prescription of a medical practitioner and no other person can do this said petitioner.

The DHS refuted the allegations and submitted that the order clearly mentioned dispensing of the medicines from the pharmacy shall be done only by the registered pharmacists and the dispensed medicine shall be distributed by the junior public health nurses to needy patients who have difficulties in travelling regularly for getting medicines reports The New Indian Express.