Show cause notices issued to 43 medical shops in Telangana state
HYDERABAD, AUGUST 17, 2026: The Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, as part of a special enforcement drive focused on weight loss drugs— Mounjaro (containing Tirzepatide), Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus (containing Semaglutide), along with other generic equivalents of Semaglutide marketed by various companies and other weight loss drugs —conducted raids at medical shops across the State on 14th August, 2026.
The raids were carried out at several medical shops across the State, with a focus on detecting spurious/counterfeit batches of Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus and other weight loss drugs, as well as identifying violations related to their sale.
During the inspections, discrepancies were observed in 43 medical shops with regard to non-compliance with the rules governing the sale of such medicines. Accordingly, Show Cause Notices have been issued to the violating shops for initiating departmental action.
The drive placed particular emphasis on detecting spurious/counterfeit versions, in view of the increasing public demand for these formulations for weight loss.
 ADVISORY
- Weight loss drugs such as Semaglutide formulations shall be used strictly under the prescription of specialists, viz., Endocrinologists and Internal Medicine Specialists, and, for certain approved indications, by Cardiologists only, as indicated on the label of such products.
- The public is strongly advised not to self-medicate with such formulations for weight loss or any other purpose. Improper or unsupervised use of these formulations may lead to serious health complications. Specialists, viz., Endocrinologists/Internal Medicine Specialists, shall evaluate the patient’s medical history, existing health conditions, and potential risk factors before prescribing these formulations, and shall determine the appropriate dosage and duration of treatment.
- These formulations shall be purchased only from licensed medical shops and only against a valid prescription issued by specialists, viz., Endocrinologists and Internal Medicine Specialists.
- The public is also advised not to procure weight loss formulations through unregulated online platforms, unauthorised sellers, or unlicensed channels, as such products may be spurious, substandard, or unsafe.
The officers identified violations about non-compliance with the rules governing the sale of such medicines, including: sale of such drugs without a prescription from a specialist; sale of drugs without issuing bills; non-maintenance of, and failure to produce, sales bills; failure to maintain prescription 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.
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The public may report any information on suspected spurious/counterfeit versions of weight loss drugs, as well as any instance of illegal sale, promotion, or misuse of such drugs, through the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana Toll-Free Number 1800-599-6969, which is operational from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM on all working days.
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