DCA seizes medicines for misleading ads

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Drug Control Administration seized two medicines: one homoeopathic and another Ayurvedic formulation, due to misleading advertisements.

According to the DCA, Stonil tablets, a homoeopathic medicine, claimed to treat kidney stones, while Hemapushpa Tonic, an Ayurvedic medicine supplied with Hemtab tablets, claimed to treat women's diseases in general.

Such claims of treating diseases are in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. No person shall participate in the publication of advertisements regarding diseases or disorders specified under the Act.

During a special drive conducted on Saturday and Sunday to identify medicines in the market with misleading and objectionable advertisements, Drugs Inspector Shabad detected 'Lord’s Stonil Tablets,' manufactured by Lord’s Homoeopathic Laboratory (P) Ltd, Gurugram, Haryana. The product label bore a misleading claim stating that it treats 'Renal Calculi' (kidney stones). Raids were conducted at a medical shop in Shamshabad village, Rangareddy district.

In another raid, Drugs Inspector Gandimaisamma detected ‘Hemapushpa Tonic’, manufactured by Rajvaidya Shital Prasad and Sons, 23, Daryaganj, New Delhi. The label of the product made the misleading claim that it was a ‘women’s health restorative tonic’ and that it helped with abdominal cramps, pelvic pain, loss of appetite, anaemia, backache, nausea, and hot flushes of the palm and soles in females.

Stocks of the medicines were seized during the raid conducted at a medical shop in Mallampet village, Dundigal-Gandimaisamma Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district.

Further investigation will be carried out, and action will be taken as per the law against all the offenders. Persons who make misleading advertisements regarding drugs for the treatment of certain diseases and disorders are punishable under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954, with imprisonment that may extend to six months, a fine, or both, said DG, TSDCA, V B Kamalasan Reddy.