'Patients cannot be forced to buy medicines from hospital-attached shops'

"It is illegal for a hospital to force patients to buy medicines from their affiliated stores," said Maha FDA notification

Patients cannot be compelled to purchase medicines from hospital-attached drug stores, the Maharashtra Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has said.

A notification issued by Commissioner, FDA, Abhimanyu Kale said FDA had received repeated complaints that patients have been forced to buy medicines from the drug store in hospitals.

"It is illegal for a hospital to force patients to buy medicines from their affiliated stores," said the notification, addressed to all the divisional joint commissioners, assistant commissioners, and drug inspectors (Drugs).

Patients don't need to purchase medicines from hospital-affiliated shops and the same can be purchased from any licensed drug store, it said.

The hospitals concerned should prominently display a signboard at a prominent place visible to the patients, as per the notification.