Telangana Issues Notices to 41 Online Pharmacies for Regulatory Violations

Hyderabad, June 8: The Telangana government’s Drug Control Administration has issued show-cause notices to 41 online pharmacies for violating regulations.

The Drug Control Administration (DCA) conducted a special enforcement drive targeting online pharmacies. According to DCA Director General Avinash Mohanty, a total of 166 medical stores associated with online pharmacies were inspected across the state. Violations were found during the inspections, leading to the issuance of notices to the 41 establishments.

The drive, held on June 6, aimed to ensure compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 and its associated regulations. Among the inspected stores, 159 were linked to online medicine delivery services, while seven were associated with B2B platforms like IndiaMart.

During the inspections, several irregularities were noted, including the failure to generate and display sales bills for medications, lack of a prescription drug register, absence of purchase invoices, dispensing prescription drugs without valid prescriptions from registered medical practitioners, selling medications without supervision from a registered pharmacist, and inadequate maintenance of sales and purchase records.

The DCA Director General stated that further action will be initiated against the 41 medical stores that received notices, in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 and its rules.

The DCA emphasized the necessity for all medical stores, including those linked to online platforms, to strictly adhere to legal requirements. Any deviations from established regulations will result in stringent actions under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940.

Members of the public can report any illegal activities related to medications, including suspicious manufacturing activities involving narcotics and psychotropic substances in residential, commercial, or industrial areas, to the Telangana Drug Control Administration at the toll-free number 1800-599-6969. The hotline operates on all working days from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM.