As part of the state-wide drive against sale of schedule H drugs without prescription and illegal sale of medical intoxicants, the Food and Drug Administration in Haryana is organising sensitization and awareness programme in various parts of the state involving drug dealers and public with the support of revenue and panchayat authorities.

The first of such joint programmes will be held at Kalanwali in Sirsa district on August 18, said Dr G L Singhal, director, Haryana FDA.

He said there are cases of abuse of Schedule H medicines by youth in the bordering areas to Punjab. So far the department has initiated action against 50 chemist shops by cancelling their sale licences for engaged in illegal sale of such medicines.

To a question Dr Singhal responded that most commonly used medicines were cough syrups containing codeine, and tablets containing Diphenoxylate, both are opium derivatives, drug formulations containing narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances like dextro propoxyphene, buprenorphine, diazepam, alprazolam, nitrazepam etc. are also used without therapeutic purpose. These are all schedule H drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules 1945 and are required to be sold exclusively on the prescription of a doctor.

The department has conducted numerous joint raids in chemist shops and  more than 40 chemist shops were sealed after detection of illegal acquisition of such drugs as well as sale of such medical intoxicants without prescription. Seven cases where huge quantities of such medical intoxicants were found stocked by the drug peddlers in a clandestine manner at unlicensed premises were referred to police department in which FIRs under the NDPS Act 1985 were registered against them and the offenders were sent to jail, he told Pharmabiz.

“We have full cooperation from the Haryana Chemist and Druggist Association in this context. They have also joined us and rendered full support to the department in our mission and conveyed their commitment to make the state as medical intoxicants free,” he said.

He said Hookah bar serving tobacco molasses containing ‘Nicotine’ in the State of Haryana doesn’t operate as on date. The department has so far conducted more than 60 raids and has seized 100 samples of such products during the last three to four months.