New Delhi:

In the wake of rising coronavirus cases, authorities in several states have asked medical shops and pharmacists to keep a record of phone number and address of customers who buy medicines for fever, cough and cold-symptoms similar to COVID-19.

Advisories have been issued in this regard to chemists in states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, parts of Bihar and in Union Territory of Chandigarh.

In most states, the officials have been clear that the information is to be shared with authorities to ensure that people are not hiding symptoms of coronavirus.

In a memo to all municipal commissioners and additional collectors of districts, Telangana's Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Arvind Kumar said it has been observed that due to "hesitation and perceived social stigma", people suffering from fever or cold symptoms which might be similar to coronavirus are approaching the medical shops directly on their own and asking for fever medicines.

"It is imperative that in a proactive manner we follow up on these cases which are having fever and other such symptoms which might be similar to those of coronavirus.

"We should be able to contact these patients and get a test conducted depending upon the symptoms," it said.

Mr Kumar instructed the officials to convene a meeting with all medical shops and pharmacists including respective associations and instruct them to necessarily take the contact address and phone numbers of customers who approach them to buy these medicines.

He asked the officials to get the list from the pharmacies and maintain a directory of all such cases and get the tests done if the symptoms are similar to COVID-19.

In Maharashtra, which has reported the highest coronavirus cases, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the pharmacists to keep detailed records of medicines, including Hydroxychloroquine, used for treating various types of fevers and coughs.

The pharmacists are also asked to report to state authorities if any patient demands such medicine frequently so as to track down such people who might be trying to suppress symptoms of the infection.

Several people were buying medicines without prescriptions from doctors and a record of those who have been doing so for coronavirus symptoms will help authorities combat the outbreak better, an official said in Pune.

Health advisories have been issued to medicine shops in Odisha to keep a record of people purchasing flu medicines as authorities suspect they could be used to suppress symptoms of coronavirus with an intent to skip testing.

The Drug Controller Administration under the Health and Family Welfare department of Odisha has asked pharmacists to note the address or at least telephone number of the persons buying medicines for cold, cough and sneezing.

"We have been collecting data in order to ascertain the ratio of population vulnerable to cold and fever. There is no reason to be worried about. The data may be used in extreme case in future," M Patnaik,the Drugs Controller of Odisha, told PTI.

An order by Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar said that all medical stores, chemists shops including Jan Aushdhi shops and doctors particularly general physicians running private clinics too would maintain the record - name, mobile number and address - of the buyers or patients of medicines for fever, cold, throat infection, flu and similar symptoms and provide it to the Director Health Services on daily basis.

The Director Health services would formulate and execute a plan to collect the data from such medical shops and general physicians on a daily basis and then track the patients for COVID-19 symptoms and take all necessary actions to control the outbreak of COVID-19, as per order.

Any violation of this order would invite action under relevant section of Indian Penal Code (IPC), said the order which will come into effect from April 20.

In Bihar, Health Minister Mangal Pandey told PTI-Bhasha:"No such direction has been issued from our department. Though district-level officials may be taking steps keeping in view the situation in their area".

Reports suggest that a large number of people are buying medicines like paracetamol.

The missive issued by Vishwajit Dasgupta, Assistant Drug Controller, Patna Nagar Nigam region, asks medicine retailers to politely ask for mobile numbers of those purchasing medicines used in treatment of cough and cold and fever.

The mobile numbers should be entered in the respective cash memos and chemists and druggists should keep a spare copy of these to be shared as and when required.

The counterpart of Biswas in Kaimur district directed medical store owners to provide name, address and mobile phone numbers of all such purchasers every day by 3 pm.

In Bhojpur, the direction has come from the district administration which has asked shop owners, as also private clinics and hospitals, to provide full details of buyers/patients with the symptoms the concerned government hospitals incharge or Medical Officer.

Chemists and druggists in the state, while not averse to the exercise, are dismayed over lack of uniformity in directions.

"At one place information is sought every evening. At another place no particular time is stated. It would have been better had there been guidelines applicable to the entire state," said Prasann Kumar Singh, president of the Bihar Chemists and Druggists Association.

The assistant drug controller of Rohtas provided druggists and chemists in the district with a pro forma wherein the details are to be filled up and sent to the drug inspector of the sub division concerned twice daily, via WhatsApp, at 10 AM and again at 4 pm.

Odisha Drug Controller said the Drug Controller Administration has already restricted sale of certain medicines like Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin.

The chemist outlets are directed not to sell such medicines without doctors prescription, she said.

Coronavirus infections crossed 16,000 with 1,324 cases being reported in the last 24 hours and the death count surpassed 500, according to the Union Health ministry data on Sunday.

World

Coronavirus has spread to 185 countries. The total confirmed cases worldwide are 23,48,124 and 1,61,404 have died; 15,82,245 are active cases and 6,04,475 have recovered as on April 19, 2020 at 6:48 pm.

India

In India, there are 16,116 confirmed cases including 519 deaths. The number of active cases is 13,295 and 2,302 have recovered as on April 19, 2020 at 5:00 pm.