Hyderabad: Conducting raids at medical shops across Telangana as part of a special enforcement drive, the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) found violations in the sale of weight-loss drugs at 43 shops. The drive focused on Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus and generic versions of Semaglutide.The inspections, carried out on Friday, also focused on detecting spurious or counterfeit versions of these drugs. Officials found several violations, including sale of medicines without specialist prescriptions, failure to issue or maintain bills, lack of prescription registers and dispensing medicines in the absence of a registered pharmacist.“Show-cause notices to all 43 medical shops were issued. Further action would be taken under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and rules,” said an official.The department advised people not to self-medicate with weight-loss drugs. “Semaglutide formulations should be used only under the supervision of specialists, including endocrinologists and internal medicine specialists, and purchased only from licensed medical shops against valid prescriptions,” added the official.The DCA also cautioned people against buying such drugs from unregulated online platforms or unauthorised sellers, as they may be spurious, substandard or unsafe.
