125 Medical Shops Face Action Over Illegal Sale Of Habit-Forming Drugs
The violations detected included selling prescription medicines without prescriptions, failure to maintain prescription and Schedule H1 drug registers, and dispensing medicines in the absence of a registered pharmacist.
Hyderabad: The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) said it had detected violations at 125 medical shops during a special enforcement drive against the illegal sale of habit-forming drugs.
It said it had issued showcause notices to all 125 shops, with the Drugs Wing warning of action including suspension or cancellation of their licences for continued violations.
The Drugs Wing conducted the raids following decoy operations and test purchases on Saturday along with Enforcement Wing and Excise Enforcement officials in Gajularamaram, Quthbullapur, Malkajgiri, Kapra, Habsiguda, Uppal, Jeedimetla, Balanagar, Medipally and Shamirpet in the CURE region.
Similar inspections were carried out elsewhere in the state.
The drive focused on the unauthorised sale and diversion of habit-forming medicines, including tramadol, alprazolam, nitrazepam, tapentadol, codeine-containing cough syrups, pregabalin-based formulations and zolpidem, a statement said.
The violations detected included selling prescription medicines without prescriptions, failure to maintain prescription and Schedule H1 drug registers, and dispensing medicines in the absence of a registered pharmacist.
Officials also found instances of medicines being sold without bills, shops failing to maintain or produce sales bills and purchase invoices, and irregularities in maintaining copies of transaction records.