Telangana DCA Inspects 166 Online Pharmacy-Linked Medical Shops, Issues Notices to 41 for Violations
Hyderabad, June 7 (TNT): The Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana, conducted a special enforcement drive on online pharmacies across the state on June 6 and inspected a total of 166 medical shops to assess compliance with statutory requirements governing the sale and distribution of medicines.
The inspections covered 159 medical shops linked to online medicine delivery services, including licensed premises of online pharmacy operators and their network partner pharmacies, as well as seven shops associated with online business-to-business (B2B) platforms such as IndiaMART, the DCA said in a release here on Sunday.
During the inspections, officials detected several violations, including non-maintenance and failure to produce sales bills of medicines, non-maintenance of prescription drug registers and Schedule H1 drug registers, failure to produce purchase invoices, dispensing prescription medicines without valid prescriptions issued by registered medical practitioners, sale of medicines without the supervision of registered pharmacists, and improper maintenance of sales and purchase records.
Based on the irregularities identified, show-cause notices were issued to 41 medical shops across the state.
The DCA said further action would be initiated in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the rules framed thereunder.
The administration reiterated that strict compliance with statutory requirements is mandatory for all medical shops, including those associated with online platforms. Any deviation from prescribed norms would invite stringent action under the law, it warned.
The DCA also appealed to the public to report complaints relating to illegal activities involving medicines or suspected manufacturing of drugs, including narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in residential, commercial or industrial areas through its toll-free helpline number 1800-599-6969, operational on working days between 10:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
The enforcement drive forms part of the state’s efforts to strengthen regulatory oversight of online medicine sales and ensure patient safety through adherence to prescribed legal and professional standards.
TNT TS
