Srinagar: The Drug and Food Control Organisation in Jammu and Kashmir has cancelled the licence of eight pharmacies and suspended operations of 75 retail outlets as part of its crackdown against misuse of pharmaceutical drugs.
“In a significant move to ensure public safety and curb the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs, the government of Jammu & Kashmir has launched a special enforcement drive across Jammu and Kashmir, targeting the pharmacies and drug outlets for compliance with legal and regulatory standards,” an official spokesman said on Tuesday.
During the drive, officers of the Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) carried out surprise inspections at various locations across Jammu & Kashmir.
The objective of the initiative is to identify the pharmacies operating in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and to strengthen the mechanisms preventing the unauthorised sale of psychotropic substances and prescription drugs, the spokesman said.
The inspection teams cancelled the drugs sale licences of eight pharmacies for non-maintenance of sale records of habit-forming drugs and not adopting the computerised system of billing for maintenance of sales records.
The affected pharmacies included Aatir Enterprises Ganjiwara Anantnag, Al-Mehdi Medicate, Shehjar Pharmacy Budgam, Medicity Pharmacy, Chadoora, New Bhat Medicate Chadoora, Dar Medicate Qazipora, Chadoora, Budgam, Pharma Plus Medicare Near Zara Diagnostic Lab Kheora Rajouri, and Happy Saini Medical Hall, Haria Chak, Marheen, the spokesman said.
Besides, operations of 75 retail sale establishments were disallowed for non-maintenance of sale records, impersonation and improper storage conditions.
These included nine each in Jammu, Rajouri and Anantnag; six each in Kupwara and Budgam districts; five each in Udhampur and Kulgam; four in Pulwama, three each in Kathua, Samba, Ramban, Doda, Baramulla and Shopian districts; two in Poonch district, one each in Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Srinagar and Ganderbal.
The spokesman said drug samples of more than 500 formulations of various categories were lifted randomly for determination of strength and purity. These samples have been referred to the Drug Testing Laboratories to ascertain their quality parameters.
Stocks of drugs worth Rs 8,40,348, found to be contravening the provisions of the D&C Act, have also been confiscated.
