Continuing its tough stand against six drugs, including nimesulide that were banned by a Union Health Ministry notification dated February 10, 2011, the Andhra Pradesh Drugs Control Administration (APDCA) has frozen and recalled drugs worth of more than Rs.16 crore.


According to the administration, action against the six banned drugs is progressing on a day-today basis and it has frozen and recalled drugs worth of more than Rs.16 crore. It has issued strict orders to the drug inspectors to thwart sale of these drugs in the state. The department’s immediate focus is to ensure ending of the sale of these drugs as recalling may take time.


“We have informed almost all the medic al shops in the state about the ban by sending Short Message Services (SMS) and asked them inform their fellow chemists. We have also publicized the issue through media to make the medical shops aware of the ban on six drugs”, told R P Meena IPS, director general, Drugs and Copyright, Andhra Pradesh Drugs Control Administration.


Earlier the administrations had sent more than 20000 SMS to the retailers and wholesale dealers in the state asking them to stop the sale of these drugs and requesting them to inform other medical shops. It had also asked various chemists associations in the state to urge their members to stop the sale of these drugs.


Meena added that the department will move ahead with inspections in order to ensure that the medical shops are not selling these drugs. It will also carry out raids in order to ensure the immediate recalling of these drugs by the manufacturers. Earlier the Madras High Court had given 15 days’ time to the companies to liquidate their stocks in the markets on March 15 and it was over by March 31, 2011. The High Court’s decision was on the basis of a petition filed by the Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries (CIPI).