Mumbai: 64-year-old, who was sold wrong medicine, dies

Police charge pharmacist with causing death by negligence; he had sold deceased's wife medicine for arthritis instead of antidepressant

The Bhoiwada police on Tuesday arrested the pharmacist, booked for selling a wrong medicine believing it to be an ntidepressant, following the death of the 64-year-old Parel man who had unknowingly taken the medicine for 15 days.

The pharmacist was released on bail the same day, cops said on Wednesday.

Janardan Doiphode, who was hospitalised at KEM hospital in Parel along with his 54-year-old wife, died on Saturday. The doctors discharged the wife on Tuesday evening and asked the family to keep a close eye on her health.

“I have lost my pillar of support due to someone else's mistake. The system would do everything now. But is there any way to bring my father back? How will I live with this trauma now?” asked the grieving son, Ninad Doiphode.

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Mangya Gawde, the 24-year-old pharmacist, worked at Bharatiya Generic Aushadhe, located in front of KEM hospital, in Parel. When the wife went there to buy the antidepressant, Gawde handed her Methotrexate 7.5, which is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. When she pointed out that the name was different, he said it was because Methotrexate 7.5 was a generic version of the antidepressant she was looking for and that their components were the same.

Officials of the Food and Drugs Administration, Maharashtra, visited Bharatiya Generic Aushadhe after the FIR was filed and seized the whole batch of Methotrexate 7.5 and its order and sale invoices. The FDA would ensure that Methotrexate 7.5, a scheduled drug, is not sold over-the-counter and there is proper record of its sale at the shop.

Bhoiwada police had initially booked Gawde under Section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) for issuing wrong medicine.

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