Centre weighs pharmacy licence ratio to check wholesale permit misuse

The government is examining a plan to fix a ratio between retail and wholesale pharmacy licences, a move aimed at curbing the misuse of wholesale permits for retail sales and at bringing greater uniformity to licensing rules across states.

The proposed ratio would not be applied uniformly. It is expected to be worked out on the basis of population, disease burden and the density of licences already issued in a given area, so that the norm reflects local conditions rather than a single national figure.

The concern driving the exercise is that wholesale licences, which carry different obligations from retail permits, are at times being used to carry out retail sales. Fixing a ratio between the two categories is seen as a way to tighten this route.

A second objective is to reduce variation between states in how pharmacy licences are granted. At present, licensing norms and their enforcement differ from one state to another, and a common ratio-based framework is expected to make the position more consistent.

The proposal is still at the consideration stage, and no decision has been announced.