The AP Drugs Control Administration has organized several raids during the last one year, throughout the state and has seized crores of rupees worth spurious drugs, ayurvedic drugs containing allopathic drugs like sildenafil citrate, hospital drugs, physician samples etc., from several manufacturers, dealers, quack doctors, hospitals and unlicenced premises.
M Venkata Reddy, director, DCA, AP said that the department has highest number of prosecutions in India. At present there are 900 under trial cases in various courts. More than 80 per cent of the prosecutions launched by DCA ended in conviction, and in several cases imprisonment ranged from three months to five years. They had detected and seized stocks of 9 spurious drugs during the year 2003, seized 13 ayurvedic drugs like sildenafil citrate which is injurious to health, manufactured by 8 different firms.
It has seized government hospital drugs at Nellore, Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Rameswaram, Warangal and Rajahmundry. Drugs manufactured without valid licences were seized from 8 manufacturing units at Hyderabad. It has also seized drugs from hospitals and unqualified quack doctors at 10 places in Andhra Pradesh who stocked drugs without valid drug Licences, and seized drugs at 32 unlicensed go-downs and unlicenced premises throughout the state.
Four unauthorized Blood Bank operation cases were detected and stocks had been seized. More than 100 drugs, which violate Drugs and Magic Remedies (objectionable advertisement) Act had been detected, and launched prosecution against 70 manufacturers for Drugs (prices control) Order violations, which is the highest in India.
AP DCA also has a distinction of implementing Good Sale Practices (GSP) in medical stores for the first time in India. It has organized 14 District Level Workshops for Chemists and Druggists during the last five months. Venkata Reddy says DCA has achieved a lot of progress in implementing GSP in the state as it received required support from druggist and chemist associations. DCA has organized an AIDS awareness rally with 600 chemists and 200 pharmacy students wearing white aprons at Anantapur.
Two massive blood donation awareness rallies were organized in Tirupati and Vijayawada. More than 800 chemists participated in each rally. Governor and health minister of AP inaugurated the rallies. Nine blood donation camps have been organized and over 1200 units were collected by DCA, an effort, which is first of its kind by any DCA in the country, working in tune with the AP health minister's slogan "More Blood - Pure Blood'.
To ensure transparency and improve efficiency, DCA has constituted district level Drug Advisory Committees with representation from State Nursing Home Association, Red Cross, Consumer Associations, Blood Banks, District Medical & Health officer, representatives from Chemist & Druggist Associations, Manufacturers, local ministers and MLAs etc., These committees will work for curbing the menace of spurious drugs and to check the loopholes of DCA, if any.
AP DCA has also initiated conducting inspections at odd hours and holidays, as most of the offences were done in odd hours. A decision has been taken to conduct at least 10 per cent of inspections in these odd hours. DCA, AP, has brought down the percentage of spurious drugs in the state and is striving to make AP a 'spurious drug free state'. As of now, spurious drugs account for below 0.3 per cent. If consumers are aware of spurious drugs, the problem can be quickly checked.
AP DCA is expecting to add up 50 additional inspectors in near future. It has received consent from the Health Minister. But, DCA needs at least 150 inspectors to meet magnitude of its work. DCA in AP made its beginning in 1952 with four Drugs Inspectors as an integral part of the Directorate of Medical and Health Services. It has now 55 Drugs Inspectors. DCA has also requested for designated courts, where all the cases can be held at one place, which will be convenient to the inspectors.