NEW DELHI: Chemist shops and medical stores in Delhi have been warned against advertising steep discounts of 60-80% on medicines, with the drug control department flagging such claims as potentially misleading and asking retailers to ensure that discounts advertised to customers are genuine and verifiable.The department has issued an advisory to licensed pharmacies and medical stores in the city after complaints and observations of promotional boards, banners and advertisements claiming discounts such as “up to 60, 70, 80 per cent”.The advisory said retailers should refrain from displaying or publicising “unrealistic, exaggerated, false, misleading or vague” claims about medicine prices or discounts to promote the sale of prescription medicines, PTI reported.The department also referred to a Kerala High Court order passed in June, which upheld regulatory action against “misleading/vague” discount boards while recognising that medicines can genuinely be sold below their maximum retail price (MRP).The Delhi drug control department said that while selling medicines below MRP is permissible, discount advertisements that are vague, exaggerated or misleading can mislead consumers.“Unrealistic and exaggerated” discount claims on pharmaceutical products even below the purchase price from their actual manufacturers and authorised distributors further raise concerns regarding the genuineness of the source of procurement,” it said.The department noted that medicines are not ordinary consumer goods but essential healthcare products directly linked to the health and well-being of patients.It stressed the need for greater responsibility, transparency and ethical conduct in the sale, procurement and distribution of medicines and asked chemist associations in Delhi to sensitise their members on the issue.Retail pharmacies and medical stores have also been advised to comply with the advisory in the interest of transparency, consumer protection and prevention of “misleading” commercial practices in medicine sales.The retailers have been asked to ensure that any discount they offer is genuine, transparent and actually available to customers, and that it can be verified through the sale bill and the firm’s purchase records.(With agency inputs)
