Karnataka Drugs Control department has issued 2,829 show cause notices to pharmacy outlets, 16 blood banks and 39 manufacturing units. It has also detected 28 unlicensed pharmacy dealers. These inspections were carried out between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010.

Among the sales units, 1,078 licenses have been suspended, 815 were cancelled and 3,525 fresh licenses have been granted. Six licenses of manufacturers have been suspended and production orders have been issued to seven plants. Under blood banks, the drugs control department suspended one license and issued order for four cancellations.

During the 12 months period, the drugs control department has issued 19 fresh licenses and four new permissions for blood banks. A total of 59 prosecuted cases were filed in the Court and 95 cases were disposed off, from which 71 are convicted. There were 156 complaints received from the public.

According to Dr BR Jagashetty, drugs controller, government of Karnataka, the department is accountable for the quality, safety, efficacy and rational use of drugs. Further it also monitors the collection and supply of safe blood and blood components. In addition, its team of enforcement officers draws the samples of drugs and cosmetics for analysis to ascertain quality, purity and safety levels on a regular basis.

In the Drug Testing Lab, a total of 3,109 samples were analysed over 12 months, of which 156 samples were declared as not-of-standard quality and investigation is being carried out.

In March 2010 alone, the department carried out 2,027 inspections of sales premises, 49 inspections of blood banks and 30 inspections of manufacturing units. Show cause notices were issued to 224 units, two blood banks and four manufacturing units for violations. There were 82 pharmacy trade licenses suspended and 83 were cancelled. Fresh licenses were issued to 317 sales units, three blood banks and three production plants. Stop production orders were issued to one manufacturing facility. In addition, there were 11 prosecution cases were filed in the Court, seven were disposed off. The public issued 19 complaints, said Dr Jagashetty.

In the drug test lab, 245 samples were analyzed and 13 were found to be not-of-standard quality. These included Nimucet (Nimesulide with Paracetamol) tablets manufactured by Shivalik Remedies in Roorkee and Anticoagulant Citrate Phosphate Dextrose Adenine Solution produced by Eastern Medikit in Gurgaon.

To date, Karnataka has around 23,752 pharmacy outlets, 174 blood banks, 56 blood storage centres, 239 drug production plants and 93 cosmetic manufacturing units. Pharma industry in the state has registered revenues to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore with export earnings accounting to Rs 2,500 crore.