Karnataka drugs control department has been able to get conviction for six cases of violation of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act (D&C Act) by the medical shops in different locations in the state. The offenders have been fined to the tune of Rs.3 lakh in total.

The department’s intelligence wing investigated and found that in Tumkur district Sri Raghavendra Medical stores at Hebbur, Sri Srinivasa Medicals and General stores at Honnudike, Sri Nanjundeshwara Medicals and General Stores at Nagavalli, Anu Medicals and General store at Nagavalli, Sri Balaji Medicals and General stores at Honnudike, Anjana Medicals and General Stores at Nagavalli were found to be selling drugs without prescription and in the absence of pharmacists. The cases were filed in the courts in respective districts. In all these cases the court convicted the six firms and the persons responsible. The total fine from the six cases amounted to Rs.3 lakhs.

“These is no doubt that cases involved violations of the D&C Act and therefore there is every reason to book the law breakers. The state intelligence wing investigated and filed these cases in the respective courts which ended in conviction,” said Dr BR Jagashetty, Karnataka drugs controller.

In another case, it was found that a pharmacy outlet was indulging in indiscriminate sale of Fortwin which is a habit formation drug. In fact, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is Pentazocine which is a synthetically prepared prototypical mixed with opium analgesic. The drug is formulated and sold in different names including Fortwin which is a lactate injectable used to treat moderate and severe pain. “Since the drug comes under the narcotic category, there is a misuse of it as it is known for its creation of euphoric sensation. We needed to book the violators as they abused the rule,” said Dr Jagashetty.

Further, it was decided to conduct special drive throughout the state to check the menace of indiscriminate sale of habit forming psychotropic drugs without prescription and in the absence of pharmacist, he said. Accordingly 221 retail licenses in the quarter ending July 2012 and 143 licenses in the quarter ending October were suspended in the state said Dr Jagashetty.

The state drugs control department has been known for its regular and surprise inspections carried out every month. The department has also embarked on projects like computerization- networking, Intelligence Cell to inspect and keep a watch on spurious, adulterated and unlicensed manufacturers, inclusion of public and non-governmental organisations during random sample checks.