Chemists say that giving consumers a few pills from a blister pack removes the batch number, manufacture date, and expiration date from the remainder of the packet. The Ministry of Health suggests adding holes to blister packs to make them easily detachable. These portions must include the product’s expiry date and other relevant information.
It is possible that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will soon issue a directive to the pharmaceutical industry that would prohibit pharmacists from requiring customers to purchase an entire blister pack of a drug even when only a portion of that medicine is required. According to a statement made by a representative of the Department of Consumer Affairs, “If someone needs just three tablets, why should they buy the entire strip?”
During a meeting that took place the week before last, the department shared this information with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. According to the individual who was named before, it is possible that an advise to this effect may be released soon.
According to chemists, if you give away a few pills from a blister pack, then the remaining section of the bag will not have the batch number, production date, or expiration date on it.
In order to address this issue, the Ministry of Health has proposed that the packaging of pharmaceuticals be revised to include easily removable areas in blister packs that are denoted by perforations. These sections would be required to include the product’s expiration date as well as any other pertinent information.
The official stated that despite the possibility that it may have a high initial cost, after other businesses begin using it, the cost will decrease. This decision was made in response to the numerous consumer complaints that the department received about pharmacists who insisted on selling a full pack even when just a lesser quantity was required or recommended.
The chairman of All Indian Origin Chemists & Distributors (AIOCD), Jagannath Sakharam Shinde, stated that “cut-strips” are a concern for retailers since the majority of the time they do not have the batch number, production date, or expiration date printed on them. According to Shinde, “it is a criminal offense to stock medicine without these important details.” These cut-strips need to be thrown away since expired medications are sent back to the wholesaler, who then sends them to the manufacturer so that they may be disposed of properly.
He said, “Cutting medicines packed in very small packs is also a problem as it sometimes leads to exposure of medicine.”
