Officials of the Drug Control Administration (DCA) have identified that spurious drugs, worth more than ₹1 crore, were imported to Andhra Pradesh, in the last few months.
The drugs, which were harmful to humans, were in the market in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kadapa, Vijayawada and other cities in the State.
After the DCA officials identified the supply of spurious drugs to the wholesale and retailers to different parts of the State, teams of drug inspectors swung into action, verified the batches, and recovered the stocks from the drug stores.
The DCA authorities noticed that the spurious and sub-standard drugs were supplied to the wholesale pharma companies, located in One Town, Bhavanipuram and Vidyadharapuram areas, in Vijayawada, from where the stocks were being despatched to the retailers across the State.
“We found that spurious medicines for diabetes, gastro, blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart diseases were imported to the pharma traders across the State by some unlicensed drug suppliers,” said Drug Inspector, B. Anvesh Reddy, who is one among the officers probing the racket.
“Following the directions of the Director-General, Drugs and Copyright, about 95% of the spurious drugs supplied to the wholesale and retail drug stores have been recovered immediately. The raids are continuing,” Mr. Anvesh Reddy said on Friday.
Under Section. 22 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, drug inspectors should inspect the medical shops in their jurisdiction at least once a year, ensure that the conditions of the license were fulfilled, and send a report to the controlling authority, the DCA officials said.
“If the drug inspectors are checking the drug stores regularly, collecting samples to check sub-standard and spurious medicines, how the medical shop owners were selling adulterated or poor quality drugs and playing with the lives of the patients since a few months,” said a student, Ch. Subash.
Meanwhile, Bhavanipuram CI, Abdul Salam, who is investigating the case said that efforts are on to trace the kingpin of the racket in the case.
