AIIMS to introduce complaint box at drug store on campus

“The pharmacist has been instructed to provide medicines only against AIIMS prescriptions and at 56 per cent discount.

The complaint and suggestion box is being introduced to check for any complaints from patients that the shopkeeper is not providing the medicine and diverting them elsewhere,” Dr Y K Gupta,head of the Department of Pharmacology and a member of the committee responsible for setting up of the pharmacy said.

“All medicines must be in place and made available by the shopkeeper. There should be no compromise on medicine quality and no patient can be turned away from the pharmacy,” he said.

Keeping in mind patient welfare,the pharmacists have been instructed to boldly advertise that all drugs including those needed for chemotherapy here are 56 per cent lesser than MRP.

AIIMS has the highest number of footfall (10,000)on daily basis. Of them nearly 8,000 are the patient themselves who report to the OPD. Majority come from the lower income strata of the society who cannot afford treatment elsewhere.

Dr Shakti Gupta,head of the department of hospital administration who headed this committee said,”We have taken a Rs 50-lakh performance guarantee from the pharmacist so that if any loophole is found on their part in providing the medicines they will be considered defaulters and lose the money.”

“This service will not meet any roadblocks as we have ready in hand a second line of operator if this pharmacist withdraws and fails to deliver,” Dr Shakti Gupta said.