Maharashtra FDA begins raids on Non Compliant retailers and wholesalers

Maharashtra: Stocks of medicines worth Rs. 3 Lakh have been seized from a Mumbai based firm, by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in an ongoing drive against non-compliance to Drugs and Cosmetics Act (D&C Act). The firms Licenses have been cancelled for violation of Section 18(C) of D&C Act.

The Maharashtra FDA team along with the police raided another firm in Beed district to discover a stock of 470 bottles of codeine containing cough syrup - Rincoff and Kuffcare C and also 7400 tablets of Alprazolam - Zolam 0.5.

While one arrest was made , an FIR under the &C Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) and sections under Indian Penal Code (IPC) was also registered against two people.

Under the NDPS Act, it is illegal for a person to produce, manufacture, cultivate, possess, sell, purchase, transport, store, and/or consume any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.

The state regulator recently also detected a case of a Mumbai based firm which mixed ayurvedic drugs with allopathic medicines in contravention to the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable advertisement ) Act (DMR Act) 1954.

Products seized belonged to Rajasthan Herbal International, Ayurvedic Park, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan and Hurni Herboceuticals, Rajasthan.

The intelligence Branch of the Maharashtra FDA also seized a stock of Leucwin Syrup, Leucwin Capsules, Kaya Cure Churna, Nari Amrut Syrup, Diab Hari Churna, Raj Pro Xtra Power, Mood on Forever Capsule based on a tip-off.

Advertisements of ayurvedic drugs were also being published in newspapers ,wherein drugs were shown to cure ailments like cancer, hormonal disturbances, female genital tract problems, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, enhancing the breast cup size, etc reports Pharmabiz

The DMR Act seeks to curtail undesirable advertisements pertaining to drugs and magic remedies as advertising is considered to encourage self medication of harmful drugs. The Act lists the diseases and disorders in respect of which advertising is banned under Section 3 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954.

The main objective of DMR Act is to control the advertisement of drugs in certain cases and to prohibit the advertisement connected with remedies alleged to posses magic qualities and related matters.