The Andhra Pradesh drug control department has ordered shutting down of 1243 medical shops in the state which were found selling sub-standard drugs. The government issued closure notices to these shops as these medical shops were found selling sub-standard quality drugs in the inspections carried out by the drugs control department during the last one year.

Minister for Hospital Services Vanama Venkateswar Rao said that the drug control administration had inspected 29,361 medical shops in the last one year, of which 1,243 were found to be selling low quality drugs and medicines. "We have also ordered closure of certain private blood banks which were also not up to the mark", he said.

He said that consulting the doctors will not have any use as long as patients consume low quality drugs. The government is making all efforts to ensure supply of quality drugs at hospitals and medical stores.

When Pharmabiz contacted the Andhra Pradesh State Drug Administration (APDCA), a senior officer said, "The 1243 medical shops is of the year 2006-07 and there are more than 40000 licensed medical shops operating in the state."

To a query on number of schedule M violations taking places in the state, the officer said, "The administration has either cancelled or suspended manufacturing licence of nearly 78 manufacturing units in the state in the year. Stop production orders have been issued to these units. The units were found to be violating schedule M compliances and other regulatory requirements." However, the officer declined to provide the names of the manufacturing units.

There is around 1500-1600 licensed manufacturing units including blood banks operating in the state. In last one year, the administration has filed around 1092 regulatory cases in the state. So far the court awarded judgement in 111 cases and convicted around 36 violators with three-year jail term and Rs 36,000 as fine. The administration is appealing against certain cases in higher courts, he said.

During the year, the administration seized Rs 199.35 lakh worth drugs and chemicals from different violations. The drug testing laboratory has conducted tests on 3,500 samples out of which 41 sample were found to be of not of standard quality (NOS), the officer informed.

About the proposal for upgrading the administration, he said that the government is seriously considering the proposal. The minister is positive about the proposal. The department submitted a proposal for Rs 1429.23 lakh for upgrading infrastructure, increasing enforcement staff strengths, vehicles, mobile phone and an interactive web portal.

"Taking note of the inspection task for monitoring manufacturing units and medical stores the government will soon recruit 100 drug inspectors and other staff to the existing strength of inspectors in the state," the minister had said. Currently, the administration has only 80 inspectors to monitor the entire state.