Several pharmacies attached to the hospitals in Hyderabad have been booked by the state drug regulatory authorities for violating Drugs & Cosmetic Rules. During a special drive conducted by the APDCA officials about 70 pharmacies have been found at fault for not issuing sale bills to the customers in the city.

According to D&C Rules,  all the medical shops should carry out the sales of medicines and other healthcare related drugs in presence of a registered pharmacist. The Rules also stipulate that the pharmacies have to ensure that sale of habit forming and other scheduled drugs should be sold only on the prescription of a doctor.

Upon conducting the special drive to check these violations, out of 98 pharmacies inspected, the inspecting authorities found about 70 of them have been violating these norms. Most of these medical shops were found not issuing sale bills during the sale of the drugs and 50 medical shops were found selling without the supervision of their registered pharmacists.

Having learned about these violations, B L Meena, Director General, Andhra Pradesh Drug Control Administration (APDCA) warned that severe action will be initiated against all the medical shops violating the D&C Act.

As a part of their regular drive the drugs department formed teams had raided pharmacies attached to hospitals across the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad. The officials inspected high profile areas like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Somajiguda, Begumpet, Malkajgiri and Miyapur areas.  A part from these areas they have also raided pharmacies in Miyapur, Madinaguda, Ramanthapur, Uppal, Ghatkesar, KPHB, Mothinagar, Medchal, Balanagar, Dilsukhnagar, Barkatpura, Narayanaguda, East Marredpally besides other areas.

Pharmacies which were raided and found violating rules include big names such as Apollo Hospital Enterprise, Cardiology Block, Jubilee Hills; Asian Medicals, a Unit of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology at Somajiguda, Care In-patient Pharmacy at Banjara Hills and Yashoda Super Specialty Hospital Pharmacy at Rajbhavan Road.

The officials carried out the inspection drive for two days and have booked cases against the violators. Commenting on the issue, Patnaik, General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Drug Trade Association said, “Hospital attached pharmacies are hand in glove with the doctors. They never issue any proper sale bill and more over sell only a certain brand of medicines prescribed by the doctors as they get higher commission. Even the doctor’s prescriptions are not readable for others to understand. For such violators the officials should take strict action.”