Sick patients turned away. Pharmacy shutters pulled down. And somewhere in the middle of it all — a visit to a police station, a flood of rumours, and a trade association calling the whole thing a “media stunt.” Thursday was not an ordinary day in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital region.
The Spark That Started It All
Pharmacy services across parts of Arunachal Pradesh’s capital region were disrupted on Thursday after a controversy over the alleged sale of medicines by unqualified salesmen triggered inspections, protests, and a temporary shutdown — causing serious inconvenience to patients. At the heart of the storm was a pointed allegation: that several pharmacies in Itanagar and Naharlagun were allowing untrained salesmen to dispense medicines, bypassing the requirement of having a registered pharmacist on site. It sounds like a procedural issue until you remember — wrong medicines, wrong doses, wrong advice can cost lives.
Inspections, Tensions, and a Trip to the Police Station
Arunbhoomi Managing Director Takam Sonia raised the alarm, warning that the practice of operating pharmacies without qualified pharmacists posed a serious risk to public health. She didn’t just raise a flag — she walked in. Accompanied by drug inspectors, Sonia visited several pharmacies in Naharlagun and Itanagar, examining documentation and flagging the alleged absence of registered pharmacists at a number of establishments. Then things got murkier. Amid rumours that an FIR had been registered in connection with the issue, Sonia later reached Naharlagun Police Station — though no official confirmation from the police was forthcoming regarding the registration of any case. Outside the station, members of the Pharmacy Union had gathered. The atmosphere, by all accounts, was charged.
Patients Left Stranded
Whatever the politics, ordinary people paid the price. The inspections were followed by the closure of several pharmacies across Naharlagun and Itanagar, creating hardships especially for patients who urgently needed medicines. Think about that for a moment — someone with a prescription, a child with a fever, a patient mid-treatment, walking from one closed shop to the next. In a city where healthcare access is already stretched, this kind of disruption hits hard and fast.
The Trade Body Pushes Back
Not everyone agreed with how this played out. The Arunachal Pradesh Chemist and Druggist Association (APCDA) dismissed reports of a statewide pharmacy shutdown, with its president Pawan Bagang calling the reports of a blanket closure a “media stunt” that had created unnecessary panic. Bagang urged all pharmacy owners to keep their shutters up and services running. He also appealed to residents not to panic over rumours, assuring them that the supply of medicines and pharmacy services would remain unaffected across the state. It’s a sharp contrast — one side saying public health is at risk, the other saying the panic itself is the real problem.
A Bigger Question That Won’t Go Away
When the shutters open again and the dust settles, Itanagar will still be left with an uncomfortable question: are the people selling medicines in our pharmacies actually qualified to do so? Inspections, protests, and trade body statements are all part of the noise — but the real answer will only come from sustained, transparent regulation. Because when it comes to medicines, close enough is never good enough.
HASHTAGS
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