FDA Issues Notices To Five Medical Stores
Officials of the Food and Drug Administration FDA) have issued notices to five medical stores and cancelled licences of two others for discrepancies in their records. It indicates a clandestine sale of cough syrups containing narcotic drug codeine phosphate.
Codeine, also known as he poor man's morphine, is popular among youngsters or its sleep-inducing proper y. Though cough syrups containing codeine are not banned in the state, there are stringent norms for its sale to check its abuse.
The seven stores are localed on MG Road, in Kondhwa, Bibvewadi, Pashan and Hadapsar areas. "During our surprise checks, we found several irregularities in the sale and purchase of cough syrups containing codeine phosphate in the city. The discrepancies indicated illegal sale of these syrups. We have already cancelled licences of two medical stores. Besides, we have also issued show-cause notices to five other stores located on MG road, Kondhwa, Bibvewadi, Pashan and Hadapsar," said Suhas Mohite, assistant commissioner (drugs), FDA.
Mohite said, "Since the syrup contains an addictive substance, included in the narcotics substances' drug category, the chances of it being misused or abused are quite high. We are going to intensify the drive against clandestine sale of the drug."
Last month, the FDA official found that a drug wholesaler, a medical store owner and a medical representative were involved in the illegal sale of cough syrups. After in vestigations, the officials filed a first information report (FIR) against the erring individuals with the Vishrambaug police station for violations of various norms of the Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
There are seven licensed wholesalers in Pune who supply cough syrup containing codeine phosphate to retail drug stores. "We had found that one of the wholesalers in Sadashiv Peth had been selling a sizable quantity of co ugh syrup Ascoril-C, which contains codeine phosphate.This made us suspicious.When we investigated further, we found that the wholesaler sold 360 bottles of the syrup on the same day to three medical stores, each receiving 120 bottles. When we approached these stores, we found that they had not received the consignment nor had they ordered the cough syrup from the wholesaler," Mohite said.
In the last week of October, the state FDA officials busted a huge racket of codeine cough syrup being sold illegally in Maharashtra. The FDA officials had recovered 15,000 bottles of codeine that were illegally stored in a godown in Mira-Bhayandar and were meant to be sold in the black market.
Two persons from Thane were found violating the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and one of them have been arrested jointly by state FDA officials and Thane police.
"We suspect a big network involved in this clandestine sale of codeine-containing cough syrups. All this activity is based on illegal purchases.The illegal stock is sold to drug codeine phosphate addicts at a very high price," said a senior FDA official from Mumbai.
Officials of the Food and Drug Administration FDA) have issued notices to five medical stores and cancelled licences of two others for discrepancies in their records. It indicates a clandestine sale of cough syrups containing narcotic drug codeine phosphate.
Codeine, also known as he poor man's morphine, is popular among youngsters or its sleep-inducing proper y. Though cough syrups containing codeine are not banned in the state, there are stringent norms for its sale to check its abuse.
The seven stores are localed on MG Road, in Kondhwa, Bibvewadi, Pashan and Hadapsar areas. "During our surprise checks, we found several irregularities in the sale and purchase of cough syrups containing codeine phosphate in the city. The discrepancies indicated illegal sale of these syrups. We have already cancelled licences of two medical stores. Besides, we have also issued show-cause notices to five other stores located on MG road, Kondhwa, Bibvewadi, Pashan and Hadapsar," said Suhas Mohite, assistant commissioner (drugs), FDA.
Mohite said, "Since the syrup contains an addictive substance, included in the narcotics substances' drug category, the chances of it being misused or abused are quite high. We are going to intensify the drive against clandestine sale of the drug."
Last month, the FDA official found that a drug wholesaler, a medical store owner and a medical representative were involved in the illegal sale of cough syrups. After in vestigations, the officials filed a first information report (FIR) against the erring individuals with the Vishrambaug police station for violations of various norms of the Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
There are seven licensed wholesalers in Pune who supply cough syrup containing codeine phosphate to retail drug stores. "We had found that one of the wholesalers in Sadashiv Peth had been selling a sizable quantity of co ugh syrup Ascoril-C, which contains codeine phosphate.This made us suspicious.When we investigated further, we found that the wholesaler sold 360 bottles of the syrup on the same day to three medical stores, each receiving 120 bottles. When we approached these stores, we found that they had not received the consignment nor had they ordered the cough syrup from the wholesaler," Mohite said.
In the last week of October, the state FDA officials busted a huge racket of codeine cough syrup being sold illegally in Maharashtra. The FDA officials had recovered 15,000 bottles of codeine that were illegally stored in a godown in Mira-Bhayandar and were meant to be sold in the black market.
Two persons from Thane were found violating the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and one of them have been arrested jointly by state FDA officials and Thane police.
"We suspect a big network involved in this clandestine sale of codeine-containing cough syrups. All this activity is based on illegal purchases.The illegal stock is sold to drug codeine phosphate addicts at a very high price," said a senior FDA official from Mumbai.
Source : TOI
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