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TN DCA tightens noose on violators of drug laws as 221 prosecutions were issued in 10 months
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
February 22 , 2025
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The drug control administration (DCA) in Tamil Nadu has intensified its enforcement activities to ensure full compliance by manufacturers and supply of quality drugs by traders to the nook and corner of the state.
The state regulator has issued 221 prosecution orders for violations of various provisions in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, and the rules 1945. As administrative action, the department suspended 327 retail licences and 54 wholesale licences in this period, while 45 licences including retail and wholesale were cancelled.
Drug inspectors have been asked to conduct frequent checks in medical stores to ensure whether the pharmacies are adhering to drug rules and proper pharmacy practices. They were instructed to initiate strict actions against all kinds of violations.
During the last 10 months, the department initiated steps to prosecute 65 drug manufacturers for manufacturing not-of-standard-quality (NSQ) drugs. Out of this, five companies are from Tamil Nadu and 60 are from other states. In their inspections at factories, the officials could detect only one case of spurious drug manufacturing in Tamil Nadu in the last 10 months period, whereas they found four spurious items in the market manufactured by companies from other states.
According to a communique issued by the director of the DCA, MN. Sridhar, from April 1, 2024 to February 17, 2025, the director’s office issued 221 sanction orders for prosecutions of various offences and violations. However, the head of the department did not disclose the details of the manufacturing companies or the offices of the ADCs and drug inspectors who initiated the prosecutions.
In the state-wide inspections, the drug inspectors initiated actions against 45 medical stores for selling drugs without the supervision of registered pharmacists. The drug controller gave sanction orders for prosecuting 104 medical shops in a span of 10 months for the offence that prescription registers were not properly kept in the pharmacies during inspection time. For selling Schedule H and H1 drugs, 19 cases were taken against the medical stores.
Sridhar said, no medical store was found selling any date-expired drug anywhere in the state so far, however inspections have been tightened.
In addition to this, there was one case of violation of provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Act 1954, and two cases of violation of DPCO 2013.
The department suspended 327 retail licences and 54 wholesale licences in this period, while 45 licences including retail and wholesale were cancelled.
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