The State government is contemplating implementing the Comprehensive Drug Monitoring System (CDMS) to facilitate better inventory and supply chain management by manufacturers /wholesalers/ retailers/doctors to keep a tab on the medicine being supplied in the State.
“Once it is in place, it will prevent entry of spurious drugs in the State,” said Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
Replying to a question by TDP member Tenali Sravan Kumar during question hour in the Assembly on Friday, the Minister said the government was taking steps to prevent spurious drugs in the State. There were proposals to procure spot kits to test the drug samples in the field itself. The field officers were directed to verify the source of supply of suspected drugs during the inspections to prevent entry of drugs from unauthorised sources, he said.
As part of enforcement, the Drug Control Administration Department regularly draws samples from retail, wholesale shops and government drug stores and manufacturers.
The department analysed 1,917 samples during 2017-18 (up to January 2018). Of this, 88 samples were declared as not of standard quality and the cases were under investigation, he said.
Mr. Ramakrishnudu said that the government had identified that the spurious drugs were flowing in to the State from Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Problem areas
Narasaraopet, Guntur, Nandyal, Vijayawada and Allagadda were a few places where the spurious drugs were seized. Cases were booked against the agencies and people involved in the sale, he explained. Earlier, the members pointed out that the people were at the receiving end due to the spurious drugs. The officials have turned a blind eye to the menace. There were reports that even generic drugs were of not of standard quality, they added.
