Mumbai: Between April and October, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized spurious medicines worth ₹2.85 crore, arrested 30 people, filed FIRs against 28 violators and suspended more than 1,900 licenses. In 53 targeted raids and inspections covering 6,779 illicit shops, the regulatory body found non-compliance issues ranging from the absence of qualified pharmacists to the improper storage of medicines and the neglect of maintaining accurate sale and purchase records. Taking stern action, the authorities suspended licenses of 892 retail shops and 1,033 wholesale ones for violating the Drugs And Cosmetics Act.
A senior health official said, “The drive was much-needed considering the rise of spurious drug markets. As a result, the World Health Organisation had blacklisted some of the drugs in India, which led to deaths of children (in other countries). Such incidents tarnished the reputation of our country.” The crackdown was also a result of several tip-offs received against shady manufacturers and the unauthorised sale of prescription medications, he added.
Action against individuals
In the ensuing action, 3,102 prosecutions were initiated against individuals found violating the norms. “We also checked the quality control of samples seized during the drive. The results revealed that 120 out of 3,200 samples either didn't meet the standard quality or were not subjected to scrutiny by the state drug controllers,” the official said.
However, it's a challenge for the short-staffed Maharashtra FDA to effectively curb the illicit drug trade. Of the 200 sanctioned posts of drug inspectors, just 82 are currently active. Additionally, the regulatory body faces a substantial shortage of assistant commissioners, with 38 out of the 66 sanctioned posts vacant. Marathwada and Vidarbha regions are the most-affected from the manpower shortage.
