DCA cracks down on hosp for selling meds at exorbitant price

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Drugs Control Administration (DCA) conducted a raid at Hyderabad Multispecialty Hospital in Judges Colony, Malakpet, and detected the sale of medicines at exorbitant prices exceeding the prices indicated on the labels.

According to DCA, the medicines sold at exorbitant prices include normal saline injections, avil injection (pheniramine maleate injection), used to treat allergic conditions, zofer injection (ondansetron injection), used to treat and prevent nausea and vomiting, IV sets, used to administer medications or fluids through the intravenous (IV) route, and spafast-d injection (thiocolchicoside + diclofenac injection), used to relieve pain.

The MRP on the label of zofer injection is Rs 13.35, but the hospital charged Rs 150, which is Rs 136.65 additional. Similarly, the MRP on the label of avil injection is Rs 6.16, but Rs 100 was collected, charging an additional amount of Rs 93.84. The hospital charged exorbitantly NS 100 ml normal saline, Spafast-D injection, and NS 500 ml normal saline.

During the raid at the hospital in Hyderabad, DCA officials seized sales bills for drugs sold at inflated prices at the pharmacy within the hospital. A case has been registered against the hospital under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, read with the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Further investigation will be carried out, and action will be taken as per the law against all offenders. The public may report any suspected manufacturing activity related to drugs, including narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in residential, commercial, or industrial areas, as well as any other complaints regarding illegal activities concerning medicines, through the DCA’s toll-free number 1800-599-6969, which is operational from 10:30 am to 5 pm on all working days, says the DCA.