Seven medical shops run by Triplicane Urban Co-operative Society (TUCS) in Chennai have remained out of bounds for its customers for the last two weeks on account of “stock verification.”
In fact, visitors to these shops were surprised to see ‘no stock’ board and its closure for more than two weeks.
Though there are several medical shops in the city, consumers preferred to buy medicine from these shops as it offered discounts ranging from five to 15 per cent. For the last two years, these shops were managed by ‘qualified’ persons authorised by a private agency.
A. Ganeshan of Royapettah, a diabetic patient, said he saved huge sum on his monthly billing by way of discounts as the prescribed drugs were costlier. But, now he was disappointed to pay extra sum.
According to the official sources, the shops have been closed on factors such as there was a mismatch between the closing stock and purchases; the salesman were making huge profits by selling unauthorised drugs; shops were managed by non-qualified persons; absence of agreement between the society and agency for supply and management of medical shops and payment of remuneration to a private medical shop owner.
“In some cases, we found that the shops had expired drugs worth Rs.20 lakh which were never replaced. The salesmen were pocketing money by selling unauthorised drugs. Besides, no proper stocks inventory was maintained at these outlets,” said a TUCS official.
The official further said: “Soon after the commencement of the investigation, the salesmen downed the shutters; handed over the keys to the society officials and left. Hence, we asked the government officials to conduct an inquiry to look into the procedural lapses and to book those who were responsible for it.”
Henceforth, the medical shops will be managed by two TUCS employees along with at least one qualified person. The society, which has begun the process of recruiting qualified persons, will complete it in a few weeks.
Consumers prefer these shops as they offer discounts ranging from 5 to 15 per cent
Shops have been closed for last two weeks for “stock verification”
