Show cause notice issued to 125 medical shops across Hyderabad against illegal sale of habit-forming drugs

The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) detected violations at 125 medical shops across Hyderabad, its surrounding areas and other districts of Telangana during a special enforcement drive against the illegal sale and diversion of habit-forming drugs

The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) detected violations at 125 medical shops across the State during a special enforcement drive against the illegal sale and diversion of habit-forming drugs. Show-cause notices have been issued to all 125 medical shops as discrepancies were detected.

The Drugs Wing of TG SAFE, along with Enforcement Wing police personnel and Excise Enforcement personnel, conducted raids on Saturday (October 24), in areas covering Gajularamaram, Quthbullapur, Malkajgiri, Kapra, Habsiguda, Uppal, Jeedimetla, Balanagar, Medipally and Shamirpet. Similar enforcement operations were carried out in other districts of the State.

The inspections focused on the indiscriminate sale of habit-forming medicines, including Tramadol, Alprazolam, Nitrazepam, Tapentadol, Zolpidem and Pregabalin-containing formulations, as well as codeine-containing cough syrups.

TG SAFE officials conducted decoy operations and test purchases to check whether medical shops were dispensing prescription medicines, particularly those classified under Schedule H1 and Schedule X of the Drugs Rules, without complying with regulatory requirements.

The violations detected included the sale of prescription medicines without valid prescriptions issued by registered medical practitioners, 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, failure to maintain or produce sales records, and non-production of purchase bills, along with other violations of the Drugs Rules.

“Departmental action, including suspension or cancellation of drug licences, would be initiated in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the rules framed under it,” TG SAFE said in a statement.