DCA Plans To Curb Substandard Drugs In Telangana
"The alert will include the batch number and other details to ensure immediate withdrawal of the drug from the market”: Shahnawaz Qasim, director general of DCA
HYDERABAD: The Drugs Control Administration (DCA) is set to introduce a real-time messaging system within a month to alert stakeholders about drugs found to be "not of standard quality" (NSQ), as part of intensified efforts to curb substandard and counterfeit medicines in Telangana.
Shahnawaz Qasim, director general of DCA, said the system would notify nearly 48,000 stakeholders, including retail medical shops, distributors, wholesalers, and drug inspectors, as soon as laboratory results flag a drug as NSQ. “The alert will include the batch number and other details to ensure immediate withdrawal of the drug from the market,” he explained, adding that messages will also be sent via WhatsApp through a private agency entrusted with the task.
The DCA is advising e-commerce platforms and courier services against supplying drugs without prescriptions from registered medical practitioners. “Scheduled drugs cannot be sold without a valid prescription. Any repeated violation will invite strict action,” Qasim said, noting that norms are being put in place to regulate online drug sales.
Referring to the misuse of drugs such as Ozempic, particularly in gyms, Qasim said inspections are focused on identifying the supply chain. “There is no reason to use such drugs in gyms. Our inspections aim to find out whether the supplier is a wholesaler or a medical shop. If drugs are supplied without prescriptions, licences will be seized,” he warned.
Highlighting the growing concern over counterfeit medicines, he said the DCA has intensified surveillance after receiving complaints. Following the issuance of show-cause notices, the department either suspends or cancels licences of erring medical shops, depending on the gravity of the violation.
On manpower constraints, Qasim pointed out that the department oversees nearly 50,000 entities, including manufacturing units and retail medical shops, with only 65 to 70 drug inspectors. “We have written to the Central government seeking approval to recruit 100 additional drug inspectors. Our inspectors spend nearly 15 days every month in joint operations with the CDSCO, and the remaining time is taken up with court cases arising from inspections,” he said.
He added that strengthening laboratory and field staff is a priority, with proposals to set up regional drug testing laboratories at Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, and Warangal.
Following the ban on Relife Cough Syrup and Respifresh TR, the DCA inspected 42 oral liquid manufacturing units and held a virtual meeting with manufacturers to issue advisories and ensure compliance.