K M Dayashankar
HYDERABAD, AUGUST 28, 2024: Officials of the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana have conducted a series of surprise raids and seized Fer-XT tablets (falsely manufactured and sold under the guise of food products), Coolsureplus and Bhringaraja Churnam for misleading advertisements and a quack’s clinic in various parts of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In a statement here on Wednesday, DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that the DCA officials of Warangal Zone have detected the product ‘Fer-XT Tablets’ (Ferrous Ascorbate and Folic Acid Tablets) circulating in the market. The product has been claimed to contain Ferrous Ascorbate 100 mg, Folic Acid 1.5 mg. These tablets were falsely manufactured under a ‘food license (FSSAI license)’ and falsely claimed to be a food product/nutraceutical. The tablets were found to be illegally manufactured at Alfansa Bio Pvt.Ltd, in Hydrabad.
As per the label claim of the product, it is classified as a ‘drug’ according to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The product ‘Fer-XT Tablets’ must be manufactured only under a ‘drug license’ issued under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, adhering strictly to the ‘Good Manufacturing Practices’ (GMP) outlined in Schedule-M of the Drugs Rules. Additionally, it must meet the quality standards prescribed in the ‘Indian Pharmacopoeia’ (IP) as mandated. P. Pavani, Drugs Inspector, Bhupalpally carried out the raid and seized the drugs at a medical shop in Karimnagar. Samples were lifted for analysis during the raids.
Misleading Advertisements
The officials detected certain medicines circulating in the market with misleading claims on their labels, stating that they treat ‘Peptic Ulcer’ and ‘Fever’. Such claims are in contravention of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The officials have seized Coolsure Plus suspension with misleading claim to treat Peptic ulcer in Mailardevpally in Rangareddy and Bhringraja Churna with misleading claim to cure fever in Prashanthi nagar, Hyderabad. Advertising a medicine for the treatment of ‘Peptic Ulcer’ and ‘Fever’, is prohibited under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. G. Ravikiran, Drugs Inspector, Rajendranagar and M. Sreebindu, Drugs Inspector, Prashanthi Nagar are among the officers who carried out the raids.
Quack’s clinic raided in Jagathgiri Gutta
On credible information, DCA raided the premises of a quack Devaji Vilas Patil, at Jagathgiri Nagar, Jagathgiri Gutta, Quthbullapur Village, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, who was claiming himself as a ‘Rural Medical Practitioner’ and practicing medicine without proper qualification at his clinic ‘Santosh Clinic’.
During the raid, DCA officials detected huge stocks of medicines found stocked at the premises without any drug license. 32 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, steroids, anti-ulcer drugs etc., were found stocked at the premises. DCA officials seized the stock, worth a total of Rs. 15,000/- during the raid.
DCA officials detected several higher generation ‘antibiotics’ 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’. E Thirupathi, Drugs Inspector, Quthbullapur, T. Shiva Teja, Drugs Inspector, Kapra, K. Murali Krishna, Drugs Inspector, Malkajgiri and E. Naresh Reddy, Drugs Inspector, Balanagar are among the officers who carried out the raid.
