Hyderabad: Prescription drug samples given by pharma companies to doctors, chemists and pharmacists are being sold to patients. During a surprise check in Hyderabad, Karimnagar and Nalgonda, medicines worth Rs 24.18 lakhs were seized.
A senior drug control officer said, “We received complaints that drugs meant for government hospitals are being sold by chemists and druggists. Doctors are selling the sample drugs that are given to them. They can give the sample drugs free of cost to patients who can’t afford to purchase medicines.”
Acting on the tip-off, drug control officers booked three cases each in Hyderabad and Nalgonda and two in Karimnagar. Dr Akun Sabharwal, director, Drugs Control Administration, said that officers found 285 varieties of medicines worth Rs 4.16 lakh in Hyderabad being sold in the open market while 23 varieties worth Rs 1.2 lakh in Karimnagar and 255 varieties worth Rs 18.82 lakh in Nalgonda. “We have taken legal action against the chemists and druggists and seized the stock,” he said.
