Hyderabad: Telangana’s Drugs Control Administration (DCA) recently issued show-cause notices to 166 medical shops across the state during a special enforcement drive after detecting discrepancies. Officials recommended departmental action, including the suspension or cancellation of drug licences.The drive focused on medical shops suspected of illegally selling habit-forming medicines such as codeine-based cough syrups, alprazolam tablets and other controlled drugs.“We found multiple sales of prescription drugs without valid prescriptions from registered medical practitioners, failure to issue bills, non-maintenance or non-production of sales records, and improper upkeep of prescription and schedule H1 registers,” an official said. Officials also noted instances where medicines were dispensed in the absence of a registered pharmacist, along with irregularities in maintaining purchase invoices and other mandatory documentation.The DCA warned that the illegal sale, diversion or distribution of prescription medicines for non-therapeutic or abusive use constitutes a serious offence under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. It added that stringent action, including licence cancellation and prosecution, would be initiated against violators. Medical shop operators were advised to exercise strict vigilance and maintain mandatory records while dispensing prescription drugs.Meanwhile, in a separate case, officials raided a quack’s clinic in Shayampet village in Hanumakonda district and seized illegally stocked medicines worth 35,000, including antibiotics, steroids, physician samples and tramadol injections. Officials warned that indiscriminate antibiotic sales could accelerate the already rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
