Action taken against erring sale outlets of medicines

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 24: Drugs & Food Control Organization carried out surprise check of medicine outlets in the rural area of Jammu and initiated action against the erring forms.
A special team of officers of Drugs & Food Control Organization under the supervision of Assistant Drugs Controller (s) Jammu was constituted by Controlling Authority to carry out surprise supervisory checks of Retail/Whole Sale outlets of medicines in rural areas of Jammu district.
During the first phase, the team carried out surprise supervisory checks of retail sale outlets situated in the rural belts particularly R S Pura and Bishnah tehsils, viz Miran Sahib, Simbal Camp , R S Pura , Dablehar, Rathana, Kalyana, Kotli, Mamka, Biaspur, Chak Mulla, Khirpind, Rehal, Natral, Bane Chak, Nandpur, Khairi, Palli Morh etc.
During the said drive, action against ten firms was initiated for committing breaches of the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 & Rules there-under. Notices have been issued under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act against the defaulters. Moreover, operations of such firms were also disallowed on spot.
Stocks of drugs worth more than Rs 1.3 lakh were confiscated on spot as the same were found stocked in contraventions to the provisions of the Act, custody permission of which has been obtained from the competent court of law.
Statutory drug samples of 21 drug formulations viz Antibiotics, PPI, Steroid, NSAIDs etc were drawn to check the identity, strength and purity of these drugs. These samples have been referred to State Drug Testing Laboratories for framing legal opinion to ascertain their quality parameters.
The dealers have been impressed upon to implement mandate of Schedule H-1 (Antibiotics, Psychotropic Substances) in letter & spirit to curb the menace of misuse of habit forming which is posing serious threat to the adolescent age and to prevent the misuse of antibiotics & steroidal drugs which develop resistance and other medical complications.
Directions were also issued to desist from indulging in unethical trade practices and to improve storage conditions to preserve the properties of drugs during their shelf life.