Telangana’s drug authority revokes the licences of six wholesalers

Hyderabad: Telangana Medicines Control Authority has suspended the licenses of six wholesalers for 30 days for illegally procuring insulin syringes, it was announced on Monday.

The DCA explained that the suspension of the license was due to the illegal purchase of insulin syringes (prefilled pens) without proof of purchase. The regulator has also initiated criminal proceedings against the wholesalers.

DCA Director General VB Kamalasan Reddy said that during raids on six drug dealers in Hyderabad from March 15 to 20, the DCA found that these wholesalers were selling insulin syringes procured from New Delhi without purchase invoices at substantial discounts of over 40 percent.

The wholesalers whose licenses have been suspended include Drug Hub, Sree Thirumala Pharma, Shree Paras Medical Agencies, Sri Ganesh Pharma Distributors, Sree Raja Rajeshwara Distributors and Sri Balaji Agencies.

During these special raids, DCA officials seized stocks worth Rs 51.92 lakh illegally procured from Delhi and suspected of being illegally diverted from the supply chain, the Director General said.

The illegal acquisition of medicines without a purchase receipt is a violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The illegal acquisition of medicines without a purchase receipt is considered fraudulent primarily because it involves health and safety risks and tax evasion.

The DCA has not only initiated prosecution action against the wholesalers but has also taken strict departmental action by suspending their drug licenses for 30 days, he added.