Pune, Dec 12: Patients cannot be compelled to purchase medicines from hospital-attached drug stores, the Maharashtra Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has said.

A notification issued by Commissioner, FDA, Abhimanyu Kale said FDA had received repeated complaints that patients have been forced to buy medicines from the drug store in hospitals. Rapid Antigen Test: Is My RAT Actually Working? How To Tell if Your COVID-19 Test Can Detect Omicron.

"It is illegal for a hospital to force patients to buy medicines from their affiliated stores," said the notification, addressed to all the divisional joint commissioners, assistant commissioners, and drug inspectors (Drugs). Indians Report Unexpected Rise in Heart Attacks, Strokes Among Healthy, Young and Middle-Aged People, Says Report.

Patients don't need to purchase medicines from hospital-affiliated shops and the same can be purchased from any licensed drug store, it said.

The hospitals concerned should prominently display a signboard at a prominent place visible to the patients, as per the notification.