DCA: Fake doctor’s clinic in Nagarkurnool raided; mislabeled drugs seized in Malkajgiri

Hyderabad: The Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana, raided the premises of a quack in Velgonda Village, Bijinapalle Mandal of Nagarkurnool district. The alleged quack was identified as Vasantpur Ravi Kumar, who was practising medicine without proper qualifications at his clinic.

DCA director VB Kamalasan Reddy said that during the raid, the DCA officials detected 20 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, anti-ulcer drugs, analgesics etc., found stocked at the premises without a drug licence. The officials seized the stock, worth a total of Rs 10,000 during the raid.

Apart from that, the DCA officials also detected several higher-generation ‘antibiotics’ at the clinics during the raids. Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics by unqualified persons may have disastrous consequences on the health of the public, including the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

The DCA officers took samples for analysis. Further investigation would be carried out, and action would be taken as per the law against all the offenders, he added.

DCA seizes falsely manufactured drugs

In a separate incident, the DCA officials seized Ferin-XT Tablets (Ferrous Ascorbate, Folic Acid and Zinc Tablets) in Malkajgiri falsely manufactured and sold under the guise of ‘food products/nutraceuticals’ during the raids carried out on Wednesday and Thursday.

The DCA officials of the Quthbullapur Zone have detected the product Ferin-XT Tablets circulating in the market. The tablets were falsely manufactured under a ‘food licence (FSSAI licence)’ while being claimed to be a food product/nutraceutical.

The tablets were found to be illegally manufactured at Twins Pharma, SV Nagar, Mallapur, Hyderabad as a food product/nutraceutical. As per the label claim of the product, it is classified as a ‘drug’ according to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

The product Ferin-XT Tablets must be manufactured only under a ‘drug licence’ issued under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, adhering strictly to the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) outlined in Schedule-M of the Drugs Rules. Additionally, it must meet the quality standards prescribed in the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) as mandated.

Samples were lifted for analysis during the raids. “The drugs that are falsely manufactured and sold under a food licence are not produced in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and often fail to meet the quality standards prescribed in the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP). Such products pose serious risks to patients' health and may have severe implications. Manufacturing and selling drugs without a valid drug licence is punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, with imprisonment for up to five years,” Kamalasan Reddy said.