Issues show cause notices to 166 medical shops in the state
HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 21, 2026: Officials of the Drug Control Administration, Telangana, as part of a special drive to curb the illegal sale of habit-forming drugs, conducted raids at medical shops across the State on Saturday and issued show-cause notices to 166 shops.
The raids were conducted at several retail medical shops across the state, focusing on detecting the illegal sale of habit-forming drugs, including Codeine-containing cough syrups, Nitrazepam) tablets, Alprazolam tablets, Tramadol tablets, Zolpidem tablets, Tapentadol tablets, etc.
Discrepancies were detected in 166 medical shops during the raids, and Show Cause Notices were issued for initiating departmental action, including suspension / cancellation of drug licences.
During the special raids, officers of the Drugs Control Administration detected several discrepancies related to the sale of habit-forming drugs in 166 medical shops.
The officers detected several violations related to the indiscriminate sale of habit-forming drugs, including the sale of such drugs without a prescription from a Registered Medical Practitioner; sale of drugs without issuing bills; non-maintenance of, and failure to produce, sales bills; failure to maintain prescription drug registers and Schedule H1 drug registers; dispensing of prescription drugs in the absence of a Registered Pharmacist; failure to produce purchase bills; irregularities in maintaining copies of sales and purchase bills; and other violations of the Drugs Rules.
Show Cause Notices have been issued to the 166 violating medical shops, and appropriate action, including suspension / cancellation of drug licences, shall be taken in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the rules made thereunder.
ADVISORY
Prescription medicines, including Schedule H, Schedule H1, and Schedule X drugs, shall mandatorily be sold only against a valid prescription issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner.
Any illegal sale, diversion, or distribution of such prescription medicines for non-therapeutic or abusive purposes constitutes a serious violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules thereunder, and shall be dealt with strictly. The Drugs Control Administration, Telangana shall initiate stringent action against violators, including cancellation of drug licences and prosecution under the relevant provisions of the Act.
All medical shops are therefore advised to exercise utmost vigilance while dispensing prescription medicines and to maintain proper prescription records as mandatorily required under the Rules.
Strict compliance by all stakeholders is mandatorily required to ensure that prescription medicines are not diverted for misuse and that public health and safety are effectively safeguarded.
DCA Director General Shahnawaz Qasim said that the public may report any complaints regarding illegal activities related to medicines, as well as any other suspected manufacturing activities concerning drugs, including narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in residential, commercial, or industrial areas through the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana Toll-Free Number 1800-599-6969, operational from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on all working days.
