Fake Medicine Supply: Cuttack Druggist Association Cancels Membership Of 2 Distributors

Cuttack: The Cuttack District Chemist and Druggist Association has cancelled the memberships of two dugs distributors for allegedly supplying duplicate blood pressure medicine Telma 40 to the retailers in Odisha.

Expressing grave concern over the supply of spurious medicine, the Association cancelled the membership of the distributors, VR Drug Agency and Puja Enterprises. The Association has also extended total cooperation to the Directorate of Drugs Control, Odisha, in its investigation into the case and demanded stern action against those responsible for indulging in illegal acts.

On Saturday, Drug Inspector Tusha Ranjan Panigrahi filed an FIR at Purighat police station in Cuttack against the two medicine distributors of Jaunliapati for allegedly supplying duplicate medicines. The distributors had procured the spurious drugs from Bengaluru and Gaya and supplied those to more than 100 retailers, the FIR stated.

Panigrahi took the step after reputed pharmaceutical company Glenmark stated in clarification that the specific batch of the two medicines that were seized during the raids was not produced by the company. Earlier, the Directorate had sent the batch number and other details of the medicines to the company and asked it to mention the components of both medicines descriptively.

The Drug Inspector has sought action under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 against the two medicine distributors. A case has also been filed in the SDJM Court, Cuttack in this regard.

“The preliminary investigation revealed that the two wholesalers purchased the spurious medicines for around Rs 50 lakh from a firm in Gaya,” the Times of India quoted drugs controller Subodh Kumar Nayak as saying.

It may be noted that a team from the Directorate of Drugs Control conducted raids on multiple locations under Purighat police limits in Cuttack on Thursday for allegedly selling duplicate medicines. A day after, several teams from the Directorate carried out raids at various medicine stores in Bhubaneswar.

The team conducted raids at 12 places, including Manikaghosh Bazaar, Badambadi, Banka Bazaar, and Mangalabag, after receiving a tip-off about fake medicines related to high blood pressure and heart diseases being sold by stockists here.

They recalled and seized the drugs of two fake brands worth Rs 30 lakh. There is no clarity about the rest medicines worth Rs 20 lakh, they said. “While a part of the consignment was sold in other states, some were sold in Odisha,” said Dharmadev Puhan, an assistant drugs controller in Cuttack.

Also Read: Duplicate BP Drugs: Glenmark Denies Production, FIR Filed Against 2 Distributors In Cuttack

Also Read: Sale of ‘Fake’ BP Medicines: After Cuttack, Raids On Bhubaneswar Shops