*Disallows ops of 17 medical establishments
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 25: In a major drive against illegal stocking of addictive drugs by the medical establishments, Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) has confiscated 14,095 tablets of addictive drugs from various establishments and disallowed operation of such establishments.
Acting on various reports regarding unethical trade and misuse of addictive drugs like Tramadol, Tapentadol and allied pharmaceutical preparations by the anti-social/nefarious elements for the purpose of addiction and intoxication especially amongst the youth, a special drive was conducted by the officers of DFCO to curb the misuse of such narcotic and psychotropic substances.
During the first phase of the drive, surprise inspections of De-addiction Centers, Pharma Dealers and Chemists Shops were conducted by Drugs & Food Control Officers under the direct supervision of respective Assistant Drugs Controller’s across the Jammu Province to ensure that such pharmaceutical preparations are being sold in consonance with the prescriptions being generated by Registered Medical Practitioners.
During the drive, some of the firms were found stocking/selling huge quantities of drug formulations comprising of Tapentadol especially by the De-addiction Centers/ Psychiatric-Clinics in gross violation to the mandatory provisions. Accordingly, stocks of such formulations containing Tapentadol (14,095 Tablets) worth more than Rs 3 lakh were confiscated/freezed on spot by the Regulatory Officers of the organization under the relevant provisions of the Drugs 86 Cosmetics Act and the investigations in the matter have been initated.
Moreover, operations of 17 medical establishments including 4 each in Jammu and Samba, 2 in Kathua, 3 each in Udhampur and Rajouri and 1 in Ramban were disallowed on spot u/s 22 (d) of Drugs 8 Cosmetics Act, 1940 for indulging in unethical trade practices particularly sale of habit forming formulations without maintaining records.
State Drugs Controller, J&K has warned the defaulters to desist from any unethical trade practices, failing which strict action as warranted under the Act shall be taken against them.
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