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Any complaint with regard to professional misconduct of a pharmacist can be brought either before the State Pharmacy Council or Pharmacy Council of India for disciplinary action.1 Every State Government is required to set up a State Pharmacy Council.2 States are also free to form Joint State Councils with mutual agreement.3 The list of all State Pharmacy Councils in India can be found here.
Procedure to complain
The procedure for filing a complaint against a registered Pharmacist may vary from state to state. This is because they are determined by the respective State Laws and in few states such as Kerala,4 Tamil Nadu,5 and Maharashtra,6 you would require to submit your complaint in writing to the Registrar of the State Pharmacy Council and the grounds of the complaint also has to be stated.7
Generally, the complaint should state the description and address of the complainant. This is because the complaint does not have a provision for anonymous complaints. If any information in the complaint is not within the personal knowledge of the complainant, the source of such information and the reasons why the complainant believes it to be true must be clearly stated.8
Punishing a Pharmacist
Once a complaint is received, the appropriate Pharmacy Council will hear the practitioner. If they are found guilty, then the Council will provide a punishment.
The punishment is determined by the Council and it can even direct removal of the name of the practitioner from the corresponding register altogether or for a specified time period. This means that the pharmacist will not be able to practice for that period.2
- Regulation 14(a), Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015[↩]
- Regulation 14(b), Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015[↩][↩]
- Section 19, Pharmacy Act, 1948[↩]
- Kerala State Pharmacy Council Rules, 2012[↩]
- Tamil Nadu Pharmacy Council Rules, 1953[↩]
- Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council Rules, 1969[↩]
- Rule 85, Kerala State Pharmacy Council Rules, 2012; Rule 90, Tamil Nadu Pharmacy Council Rules, 1953; Rule 63(3), Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council Rules, 1969[↩]
- Rule 63(4), Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council Rules, 1969;Rule 86, Kerala State Pharmacy Council Rules, 2012; Rule 91, Tamil Nadu Pharmacy Council Rules, 1953[↩]
Mohammed sherif
October 28, 2022
Provided medicine expired ,and after reach home noticed family person that provided medicine got expired,so again visited the medical shop,behaved worst ,raised voice and make noise too high, actually mistakes are done be them,but asking my end very kind and polite,i was very frustrated about the services and the medicine provided for my brother baby.
Nyaaya
November 11, 2022
We’re sorry to hear about this. If you like, you can file a complaint against the pharmacist by following the steps given in the explainer.
Ash
January 14, 2024
They have wrongly typed patient name and doc name inspite of telling them in a private medical shop for which we asked for corrected bill and they refused and treated unprofessionally. How can i get the corrected bill for my claim ? And any action can be taken for irresponsible reply ?