Sufficient stock of swine flu drugs in Maha: FDA chief

Hospitals in Maharashtra, both government and semi-government, have sufficient stock of swine flu drugs which are available for free, said Harshadeep Kamble, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, here today.
While talking to reporters after a meeting with the representatives of Associations of Wholesale and Retail Chemists, he said that the chemists had been asked to keep these medicines in stock.
"Considering the seriousness of swine flu in Maharashtra, we have taken certain steps. There are about 1,191 retailers and wholesalers who have the permission to stock and sell medicines for swine flu.
"All these licensees should invariably keep the medicines in stock. The list of these 1,191 licensees is uploaded on the website 'xlnindia.Gov.In'," he said.

Kamble had told the Retailers and Dispensing Chemists Association, Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association and Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Association to ask their members to coordinate with the district-level FDA officers to make the medicines available.
The representatives of the associations assured full cooperation, he said.
Kamble said he had also directed all the joint commissioners at the divisional level to give necessary licences for stocking the swine flu drugs to the hospitals holding a general drug licence.