HYDERABAD, NOVEMBER 14, 2024: Officials of the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, continued their raids unlicensed medical shop, quacks, nutraceuticals and misleading claims in various parts of Telangana state on Wednesday.
In a statement here on Thursday, DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that the officials, acting on credible information regarding the illegal sale of medicines, raided a medical shop located at Komatwadi, Noorkhan Bazar, Charminar, Hyderabad which was being operated by Dr Yahya Aslam Bin Mahfooz illegally without a drug licence. During the raid, DCA officers detected unauthorized stocking of huge quantity of medicines for sale. 23 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, analgesics, etc. are found stocked for sale at the premises. DCA officials seized the stock of total worth Rs. 18,000 during the raid. T. Rajamouli, Assistant Director, Hyderabad and B. Lakshmi, Drugs Inspector, Charminar carried out the raid.
Raids conducted at quacks’ clinics:
Officials from the Drugs Control Administration raided the premises of quacks who were claiming themselves as ‘Rural Medical Practitioners’ and practicing medicine without proper qualifications at their clinics. During the raids at the following premises, substantial quantities of medicines stocked for sale without a drug license were found.
The quacks P Ravindran was running the clinic at Chintal, Quthbullapur, Medchal-Malkajgiri district and Devasoth Gopal at Fasalwadi village, beside government high school, Sangareddy district. Medicines, including antibiotics, steroids, anti-ulcer drugs, analgesics, cough syrups, antidiabetics, antihypertensives, etc., were found stocked at the premises.
DCA officials detected several higher generation ‘antibiotics’ viz. Ceftriaxone, Cefixime, Cefpodoxime etc. at the clinics during the raids. Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics, by unqualified persons may have disastrous consequences on the health of rural public, including emergence of ‘Antimicrobial Resistance’.
Officials found ‘steroids’ viz. Dexamethasone at the clinics of quacks. Misusing steroids can have serious health consequences, including immune system suppression, hormonal imbalances, muscle and bone weakness, cardiovascular problems, and psychological effects. The indiscriminate use of steroids poses significant risks to public health. DCA officials seized the stocks, worth a total of Rs. 40,000/-, during the special raids. E. Thirupathi, Drugs Inspector, Quthbullapur and N. Ravikiran Reddy, Drugs Inspector, Sangareddy carried out the raids.
Seizure of drugs falsely manufactured and sold under the guise of ‘food products/nutraceuticals’
Similarly, the officials detected drugs falsely manufactured and sold under the guise of ‘food products/nutraceuticals’ in Warangal. They have detected the product Thioget Tablets (Thiamine Hydrochloride 100mg Tablets) circulating in the market. The product was found to be manufactured at Lakra Polytex, Kala Amb, Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh.
The said product was falsely manufactured under a ‘food license (FSSAI license)’ and falsely claimed to be a food product/nutraceutical. According to the label composition of the product, it is classified as a drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. M. Aravind Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Warangal carried out the raid.
Seizure of drugs for misleading advertisements:
The DCA detected certain Ayurvedic medicines circulating in the market with misleading claims on their labels, stating that they treat ‘Leprosy, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Urinary Stones’. Such claims are in contravention of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Schedule J of Drugs Rules, 1945.
The officials seized Podapathri Churnam, Arjuna Churnam and Abistone-B6 syrup. Advertising a medicine for the treatment of ‘Leprosy, Diabetes, Blood Pressure, Urinary Stones’ is prohibited under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 / Schedule J of Drugs Rules, 1945. G. Sreenivas, Assistant Director, Medchal, M. Hemalatha, Drugs Inspector, Gandimaisamma and P. Pavani, Drugs Inspector, Bhupalpally are among the officers who carried out the raids.
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