The Telangana Drugs Control Administration on Sunday seized illegal drugs worth ₹1.90 lakh, its director general V. B. Kamalasan Reddy informed in a press statement. This comes as a part of the series of surprise raids conducted by the department in the past few weeks to detect unlicensed stocking and sale of medicines in the State.
The department officials raided a medical shop in Jangammet, Falaknuma run by K. Achutha Reddy, selling drugs unlawfully without a drug licence. A whopping 40 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, anti-diabetic, anti-fungal, anti-hypertensive, pain killer, and anti-ulcer drugs worth ₹1.20 lakh stocked for sale at the premises were seized by the officials.
In another such incident of illegal selling of drugs, the DCA raided Srinivasa Clinic, run by D. Srinivas, a quack (practicing medicine without qualification). In this clinic located in Kothapet village of Medak district, the officials seized 41 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, steroids, analgesics, anti-ulcer drugs and anti-hypertensive drugs worth ₹70,000 along with purchase bills and cash receipts regarding certain wholesale agencies of Narsapur in Medak district.
The officials also detected several higher-generation ‘antibiotics’ at the clinic during the raid.
“Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics, by an unqualified person may have disastrous consequences on the health of the public in rural areas, including emergence of antimicrobial resistance,” Mr Reddy said.
Investigations are underway in both cases. DCA officials have sent the samples for analysis and action shall be taken as per the law against all the offenders, the official further informed.
DCA, Telangana issues drug licences for the stocking and selling of medicines under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Wholesalers and dealers involved in supplying medicines to unqualified people and unlicensed shops stocking and selling drugs without a drug licence are punishable under this act.