AHMEDABAD: Fearing shortage in supply of medicines due to GST implementation, customers appear to have preponed their medicine purchases and thus stocking up on extra medicines. Estimates by city-based chemists and druggists indicate there is a 30% surge in the sale of anti-diabetic medicines and those for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.Figures provided by a market research wing of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), the AIOCD-AWACS indicates that the average inventory i.e. the stock of drugs available, have plunged extremely low at 16.7 days and 21.5 days of stock, against respectively, an average of 24.3 days for all drugs, as of June 14."More than two weeks inventory at distributor level and two-three weeks inventory at retailer level will ensure that even for these therapies, there is no likelihood of consumer shortage," said Ameesh Masurekar, director, AIOCD-AWACS.Detailing the situation in Gujarat, Jashvant Patel, president, Gujarat State Federation of Chemists and Druggists Association , said, "There is an estimated 30%-35% increase in the demand for specific drugs, which is mainly due to rumours of possible drug shortage."People tend to stock up on drugs which they regularly take. "Those who are diabetics or heart patients need to take their medicines regularly and therefore, many of them have purchased extra medicines that will last for 15 days to a month," said Devendra Patel, parnter in a medical store in Memnagar. "We will get input tax credit only on the inventory which is purchased with effect from July 1," said Dashrath Patel, a chemist in Stadium area.

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