Following the death of a three-year-old girl after allegedly consuming expired drugs a few days ago, a team of drug control officials from Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department seized a huge quantity of expired drugs from various medical shops during surprise raids conducted in Perambur area.

Drugs control director M Bhaskaran said three ADCs and 14 drug inspectors of five zones in Chennai and of the suburban Thiruvalluvar area were involved to conduct the joint inspection.

During the inspections, the officials found that several expired medicines are kept in five pharmacy stores in the area. Other violations such as sales without giving bills, non-maintenance of records and dispensing drugs without pharmacists were found in seven shops. The team has raided a total of 18 medical stores in the area.

The entire confiscated items which included various kinds of drugs including tablets, capsules and syrups manufactured by several manufacturing companies, were produced in the court. Twelve cases have been registered. Bhaskaran said show cause notices were given to the shops and legal action would be taken against the proprietors.

To a question he said, show cause notice has already issued to the pharmacy that rendered the drug, ziprax 50 mg, an antibiotic, to the child against a prescription given by a doctor for some kind of fever. But, the shop has closed its functioning from the very day of the raid.