Close on the heels of suspending a Drug Inspector from service on corruption charges in Coimbatore, the Directorate of Drugs Control in Tamil Nadu suspended a Drug Inspector working in the City jurisdiction of Chennai Corporation.

The drug controller said the suspension of the drug inspector in Coimbatore was following his arrest by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on accepting bribe from a pharmacy shop owner, whereas the city based drug inspector was suspended due to some irregularities he made in the administration. The former one was suspended last month and the latter one was given notice a few days ago.

The office of the drug controller has also issued a show-cause notice to a drug store operating in the city for selling Tamiflu, the anti-viral drug used for treating H1N1 flu, in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The action was initiated following raids conducted by the inspectors in five pharmacy stores.

M Bhaskaran, the drug controller, told Pharmabiz that his office was planning to prosecute the pharmacy by cancelling its license. He said that based on some reports he raided some shops in Chennai, but none was found stocking the drugs. However, he said, while questioning the staff of the Narayanappa Pharmacy at Nungampakkom; they admitted that the drug was sold there. Hence it has been given a show cause notice, he said.

According to the drug controller, the Pharmacy Shop got three strips of Tamiflu capsules through a foreigner, and the shops sold them without any prescription.

Dr V Kanagasabha, dean of the Kilpauk Medical College said the sale of Tamiflu is banned in the open market in order to prevent hoarding and misuse leading to the virus developing resistance to the drug. In positive cases, it is supplied through government health agencies.