In the wake of the FDC ban by the Union health ministry, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department has decided to continue inspection and checking at the retail counters all over the state for next one more month to ensure that no banned medicinal product is in the market, said M Abdul Khader, director of drugs control.

While briefing the post ban actions by the regulatory wing, Abdul Khader said the department has not given any time-frame to the traders to return the banned products despite repeated requests from the chemists and druggists associations for a short period of time. He said ADCs and drug inspectors are aggressively inspecting and watching the sale and circulation of drugs in the market. No prohibited combination drug will be allowed to sell or distribute in the market, he maintained.

Regarding the way the department is operating to implement the ban fully, Khader said all the retail shops are visited every day by the drug inspectors and the stocks are checked and the pharmacists are given strict advice to check the prescriptions. Details about the ban and the list of medicines have been given to the directorate of health services and doctors associations.

“As soon as the ban came into effect, we have set out to inspect the retail shops and instructions have been given to the traders. The wholesalers have been asked to take back the stocks from the retail pharmacies and return to the manufacturers. Tamil Nadu chemists associations have been asked to return immediately the stocked products to the distributors. We are unable to give any time limit for the traders. If any violation is found, action will be taken as per law”, the state regulator said.

Meanwhile the Kerala DC department has started conducting district-wise meetings to give awareness to pharmacists in the community pharmacies, owners of retail shops and wholesalers about the ban and the prohibited drugs. Messages about the ban have been given to state branch of the IMA, DHS, DME and Kerala State Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL). Advertisement is being given in the electronic media, print media and radio, said the drugs controller.

B Hariprasad, the drugs controller, said so far district wise meetings have been held in six districts involving all the stakeholders and a few more meetings are remaining.

The state DC said since the High Court of Kerala has given a time limit to the traders for returning the drugs, the department is going by this order and not insisting to return as immediately as possible. The court has given three months time to AKCDA, to sort out and return the banned products.