Geo-tagging of medical stores: FDA defends move, chemists allege pressure

The ongoing geo-tagging of pharmacies by the Karnataka Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sparked a disagreement, with the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association (BDCDA) alleging pressure on officials and retailers. The FDA, however, maintained that the exercise would streamline oversight and improve compliance.

In a representation to Food Safety Commissioner K. Srinivas, marked to Principal Secretary Harsh Gupta and Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, the association said morale within the department had been affected, and routine regulatory work was suffering.

BDCDA president B. Thirunavukkarasu said enforcement personnel were being asked to meet geo-tagging targets despite staff shortage, with delays treated as non-performance.

Whose responsibility?

The association contended that public awareness efforts on antibiotic misuse and antimicrobial resistance were increasingly being spearheaded by the police. While appreciating those initiatives, it said the responsibility lay primarily with the regulator and required stronger institutional ownership.

To restore balance, the BDCDA proposed the constitution of an honorary committee of retired Drugs Controllers and senior officers to guide implementation and training. It also referred to vacancies that had, it claimed, slowed inspections, sampling and prosecutions, making expectations of universal compliance difficult.

The representation further called for bifurcation of food and drug administration, suggesting that enforcement responsibilities could be aligned with a police-led framework for better surveillance and response. Wider consultation, it said, was necessary in the interest of public health and effective regulation.

To streamline

Responding to the concerns, Mr. Srinivas said the geo-tagging drive was intended to accurately map medical stores and bring uniformity in monitoring. The exercise would cover nearly 34,000 licensed units across the State.

“This is the first step. After this, we will monitor whether stores function in the presence of a qualified person. Many stores do not have a qualified pharmacist in the premises, which is mandatory. We have already held consultations with associations so that issues can be clarified on the ground,” he said.

Autheticated coordinates

While information on shops might be available elsewhere, the department required authenticated coordinates. Capturing latitude and longitude would help create a single official database. Many licences had been issued decades ago, and locations could have changed over time or transferred to another individual, the commissioner said.

The initiative, he said, would strengthen oversight, improve service delivery and benefit both regulators and licensees.