3 days on, meds play hard to get

LUCKNOW: Ever since GST has been implemented, buying even routine medicines has become a task. Either medicines aren’t available or different stores are charging different prices for the same medicines. Complaining about unavailability of medicine was Vishal Shukla of Mahanagar. “I had gone to purchase a cough and cold medicine that is readily available.But most chemists turned me away, saying it wasn’t in stock,” he said.
Rabindra Shah of Aminabad was annoyed that he had to run from one shop to another just to purchase a glucometer. Meant for diabetics to check their glucose levels, glucometers are available at most store. But, Shah couldn’t find it anywhere. When one shop did sell it to him, he was given a manual bill listing a price higher than that on the machine.
In Hazratganj, Mohammed Qasim pointed out how different rates were being charged for the same medicine at different stores. He said he bought a medicine on Saturday in Aminabad and paid Rs 10 for it. When he bought the same medicine from Kaiserbagh on Monday, the price was Rs 15. “Both the shops gave me manual receipts instead of computerized ones,” he said.
Some medical store owners in Indiranagar said since their billing software was not updated as per GST, they were not entertaining customers who demanded computerized receipts. “We are selling only to those who need emergency medicine or can wait for a few days for computer-generated receipts,” they said.
Uttar Pradesh Drug Association general secretary Anil Upadhayaya said most of the medical store owners were confused over the implementation of the GST. “Big pharma companies have not sent supplies as they are updating their systems,” said Upadhayaya.