DCA raids unlicensed medical shops, seizes drugs

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Drug Control Administration (TSDCA) conducted raids at an unlicensed medical store in Hyderabad and other parts of the State on Thursday.

In Hyderabad Old City, the DCA raided shops at Komatwadi, Noorkhan Bazar, and Charminar, being run by Dr Yahya Aslam Bin Mahfooz illegally without a valid drug license.

During the raids, the DCA seized 23 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, analgesics, and other medication, worth Rs 18,000 from the illegally run medical shop. According to DCA, stocking drugs for sale without a drug license is punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, with imprisonment for up to five years.

In another case, the DCA teams conducted raids at two facilities run by unqualified medical practitioners (quacks) at Chintal and Sangareddy districts.

At Chintal, Quthbullapur village, Medchal-Malkajgiri, the DCA teams raided the facility of P Ravindran, who was practicing medicine without any qualification, and seized 22 varieties of drugs, while at Fasalwadi village, Sangareddy district, the DCA teams raided the facility of quack Devasoth Gopal and seized 21 varieties of drugs totalling up to Rs 40,000.

The DCA teams during raids detected thioget tablets (thiamine hydrochloride 100 mg tablets), manufactured by Lakra Polytex, Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh, that were circulating in the market. These tablets were falsely manufactured under a ‘food license (FSSAI license)’ and falsely claimed to be a food product or nutraceutical.

“According to the label composition of the product, it is classified as a drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The product must be manufactured only under a ‘drug licence’ issued under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, adhering strictly to the ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ (GMP) outlined in Schedule-M of the Drugs Rules. Additionally, it must meet the quality standards prescribed in the ‘Indian Pharmacopoeia’ (IP) as mandated,” the DCA press release said.