DCA officials continue their drive against quacks and vigil
HYDERABAD, JANUARY 30, 2024: Officials of Drugs Control Administration, Telangana state, seized overpriced ‘Pubergen-HP nu 2000’ injections at Hanamkonda when compared to the ceiling price fixed by the central government.
Similarly, the DCA officials continued their drive against quacks and raided a quack’s clinic in Bhanu village of Patancheru mandal, Sangareddy district and seized medicines worth Rs 73,000.
DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that the officials have seized ‘PUBERGEN HP nu 2000’ Injections (Chorionic Gonadotropin injection IP 2000 IU) of Quantity: 55 vials on Monday at Hanamakonda. The product Chorionic Gonadotropin injection IP 2000 IU sold under brand name ‘PUBERGEN HP nu 2000’ Injections’ 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 ‘PUBERGEN HP nu 2000’ (Chorionic Gonadotropin injection IP 2000 IU) of B. No: JBC32307, Mfg. Dt.: 08/2023, Exp. Dt.: 07/2026, Manufactured by: M/s Sanzyme (P) Ltd., Koltur Village, Shamirpet Mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana and Marketed by: M/s. J.B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Mumbai bears MRP as Rs. 598.16/- (for each vial) on the label of the product which is a violation of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013.
The Ceiling price fixed by the Central Government for the product “Chorionic Gonadotropin injection IP 2000 IU per vial” is Rs. 343.64 (Ceiling Price). Hence Maximum Retail Price (MRP) i.e. including GST 12 % should not be more than Rs 384.87 per each vial (MRP=Ceiling Price+GST)
The firm overpriced the product. Each vial has been charged excess of Rs. 231.29/- i.e. 55.4 % excess MRP, which is a violation of Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Rajavardhana Chary, Deputy Director, Warangal, Dr. G. Rajyalakshmi, Assistant Director, Warangal, J. Kiran Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Hanumakonda and M. Aravind Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Warangal are among the officers who carried out the raid.
Quack’s clinic raided
In another incident, the DCA officials raided a premises of a quack Subrata Mandal, who is running a clinic at Bhanur Village, Patancheru Mandal, Sangareddy District, claiming himself as a ‘Rural Medical Practitioner’ and detected unauthorized stocking of huge quantity of medicines for sale. The officials seized 54 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, steroids, anti ulcer drugs, antihypertensives, analgesics etc. of total worth Rs. 73,000 during the raid.
The DCA officials detected several higher generation ‘antibiotics’ at the clinic during the raid. Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics, by an unqualified person may have disastrous consequences on the health of public in rural areas, including emergence of ‘Antimicrobial Resistance’. M Chandrasekhar, Drugs Inspector, Patancheru and N Ravikiran Reddy, Drugs Inspector, Sangareddy carried out the raid.
Wholesalers/Dealers who supply medicines to such unqualified persons, who are stocking and selling drugs without a drug licence, are also punishable under Drugs and Cosmetics Act and stringent action shall be taken against such Wholesalers/Dealers. Wholesalers/Dealers shall mandatorily ensure that the recipient entities hold a valid drug licence before supplying medicines to them.
