The arrest of a trio involved in the trade of spurious drugs here has brought under the scanner groceries and medical shops where such drugs could have been circulated. The Director of Drugs Control in Chennai, Selvaraj, has announced that special teams would be formed to raid such shops across the State.“As Vicks Action 500 is a cheap drug that can be bought without a formal prescription from doctors, Malieek and his gang members would have circulated such drugs mainly in petty and grocery shops,” Selvaraj told Express over phone.
The preliminary investigation showed that the gang circulated spurious drugs in the southern districts, particularly in Madurai and Coimbatore city, he said, while adding that these areas would be the priority while checking for spurious drugs.
The special team would not only search medical shops for spurious drugs, but also ascertain whether the shops employed qualified technicians with a degree in Pharmaceutical Science.
Small Firms
Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association president Dr K Senthil said that most spurious drugs were produced by medium and small pharmaceutical companies. The government should strengthen the monitoring mechanism to prevent such practice, he said. Senthil also urged the public to avoid purchasing medicine from small groceries and petty shops.
Purchase medicines only from chemists recommended by doctors, he advised. The public should also verify the expiry date of the medicine and check for the name of pharmaceutical companies during their purchase and if they have any doubts, they should immediately consult with a physician, he added.
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