Drug stores pay a heavy price
Corruption in the pharmaceutical industry is deeply entrenched. A major reason for the mushrooming of unregistered medical stores in our country is the easy availability of licences if a specific amount is paid.
One individual from Lucknow paid a whopping Rs.18,000 to the State Pharmacy Council after he was harassed by them. According to him, employees of the council earn Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 daily by fleecing people seeking a licence. Read more at: http://ipaidabribe.com/bribe-central/payed-bribe-pharmacist-registration
Pharmacists with a valid D.Pharm certificate too need to cough up money to run a licenced drug store. A complainant from Pudukkottai (Tamil Nadu) writes about how the administrator of the pharmacy council demanded Rs. 12,000, including his conveyance charge of Rs. 800, to grant approval.
To escape paying huge bribes to the registration department, drug stores prefer to run them unlicenced.
By Juwairia Mekhri