Two pharmacies near Bir Hospital closed for operating illegally

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Feb 15: Two pharmacies near Bir Hospital have been shut down for selling medicines at high prices against the law of the country.

The pharmacies were shut down after the officials of Department of Drug Administration (DDA) inspected them following the instruction of Minister of Health and Population Mohan Bahadur Basnet.

The officials found that the pharmacies were operating violating the law of the country.

Upama Pharma and Satyam Pharma adjacent to the new building (surgical) of Bir Hospital were shut down as they were selling unregistered, expired and price tag unascertained medicines at high prices to patients. 

After receiving the complaint that the director of the hospital in association with others is making patients buy medicine outside the hospital at high prices as the medicines required by patients are not found inside the pharmacy of the Bir Hospital, officials of DDA and officials of MoHP in the instruction of Minister Basnet had gone unannounced to take stock of the pharmacy inside and outside of hospital on Thursday. 

Minister Basnet said, “We looked into the matter after receiving the complaint that the majority of pharmacies run by the government hospitals are making patients buy medicine at high prices by not keeping necessary medicines in the pharmacies of the hospital. The inspection was conducted to solve the problem by finding the reason why the required medicines for patients are not kept in pharmacies located at the premises of government hospitals like Bir Hospital. Patients need to be provided medicines by pharmacies in the hospital at reasonable prices. The compulsion to buy medicines at high prices because of association and greed of commission needed to be removed". 

Bikash Devkota, Additional Secretary of MoHP, said that during the inspection it was found that the pharmacies inside the Bir Hospital were not keeping the required medicines.

Narayan Dhakal, Director General of DDA, said that it has been found in inspection that two pharmacies outside the Bir Hospital are in disarray. Other pharmacies are under scrutiny as well, he said.