HYDERABAD, MARCH 20, 2024: Officials of Telangana DCA have raided a premises along with Special Operation Team (SOT) and Balapur police and seized stocks purported to be ‘Oxytocin’ injections intended for misuse in the dairy cattle.
In a separate event, the officials seized overpriced antibiotic Merozford 1 gm injection (Meropenem injection IP 1 g) in Warangal – The Maximum Retail Price (MRP) indicated is significantly higher compared to the Ceiling Price fixed for the product by the Central Government. They also seized drugs worth Rs. 23.10 lakhs stocked for sale at an unlicensed premises in Quthbullapur.
DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that in a coordinated operation by the DCA, SOT and police, the officials raided a premises at Salala, Kothapet, Balapur in Ranga Reddy District, which belongs to Salam-Bin-Mahmood Misri, and seized 50 unlabelled transparent bottles each of 200 ml purported to be Oxytocin injections on Tuesday and Wednesday. Salam-Bin-Mahmood Misri illegally stocked injections purported to contain Oxytocin for sale and misuse of the drug in cattle. This misuse involves administering Oxytocin to dairy cattle to increase milk production. However, such unauthorized use of oxytocin may have adverse effects on animal health. Officers seized the stocks during the raid.
In another incident, the DCA officials seized overpriced antibiotic Merozford 1 gm injection (Meropenem injection IP 1 g) on Tuesday in Warangal. The product Meropenem injection IP 1 g sold under brand name ‘Merozford 1 gm injection’ is under price control as per Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 and the price of product shall be in accordance with the ‘Ceiling Price’ fixed by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India.
The product Merozford 1 gm injection (Meropenem injection IP 1 g) bears MRP as Rs. 3390/- for 1 g vial on the product label which is a violation of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The Ceiling price fixed by the Central Government along with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for the product “Meropenem injection IP 1 g” is Rs. 952.68 for 1 g vial (Ceiling Price).
Hence Maximum Retail Price (MRP) i.e. including GST 12 % should not be more than Rs. 1067 for 1 g vial (MRP=Ceiling Price+GST). The firm overpriced the product and charged excess of Rs. 2323/- for one vial, which is a violation of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Worth of the stock seized during the raid is Rs. 13,650/-.
In another incident, based on credible information, officials from the Drugs Control Administration raided the unlicensed premises located at Road No. 4, Suchitra, Quthbullapur Village & Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, which belongs to Bodasu Ramanujam and detected huge quantity of medicines worth Rs 23.0 lakhs found stocked for sale at the said premises without any drug license.
