February 11, Kohima: The Drugs Control Administration of the state Health & Family Welfare Department has directed all licensed wholesale medicine dealers and retail pharmacies to enroll their firms on the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDS) portal by June 30th. The order, issued on February 5th, warned that failure to register will adversely affect the procurement and sale of medicines after the deadline. Furthermore, the department also issued strict guidelines for retail pharmacies operating in the state. Pharmacies that allow Registered Medical Practitioners to conduct patient consultations must either register as clinics under the Nagaland Healthcare Establishment Act, 1997 and Rules 2022, or immediately cease this practice. Registered pharmacists have been directed to physically supervise the dispensing of medicines in their respective pharmacies, and failure to do so may result in strict legal action. They have also been instructed to wear a white coat or apron with a name tag displaying their Council Registration Number while on duty.
