DCA officials seizes overpriced injections

Hyderabad: The State Drugs Control Administration (DCA) officials seized ‘Pubergen HP nu 2000’ Injections (Chorionic Gonadotropin injection IP) at Hanamkonda for being sold over the price.

They said MRP indicated is very high compared to the ceiling price fixed by the Central government. The DCA seized 55 vials of Pubergen HP nu 2000 worth Rs 32,945 during the raid.

According to DCA, the injection sold under brand name ‘Pubergen HP nu 2000’ is under price control as per Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. The price should be in accordance with the ‘ceiling price’ fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

The product is manufactured by Sanzyme (P) Ltd., Koltur village, Shamirpet mandal, Medchal-Malkajgiri district and marketed by J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Mumbai. The MRP Rs. 598.16 (for each vial) on the label is a violation of Drugs (Prices Control) Order.

The ceiling price fixed is Rs 343.64. Each vial has been charged excess of Rs 231.29 (55.4%) excess MRP, which is a violation of the order. Investigation is to be carried out and action taken as per law against all offenders.

C Rajavardhana Chary, deputy director, Warangal, Dr G Rajyalakshmi, assistant director, drug inspectors J Kiran Kumar (Hanamkonda) and M Aravind Kumar (Warangal) carried out the raid.

In another raid, the DCA officials, on credible information, raided the premises of a ‘quack’ Subrata Mandal, running a clinic at Bhanur village, Patancheru mandal, Sangareddy district, claiming to be a ‘rural medical practitioner’ and practicing medicine without qualifications. The officers detected unauthorised stocking of huge quantity of medicines for sale.

They seized 54 varieties of medicines including antibiotics, steroids, anti-ulcer drugs, antihypertensives, analgesics worth Rs 73,000 stocked without any drug licence.

Indiscriminate sale of antibiotics by an unqualified person may have disastrous consequences on health of people in rural areas, including emergence of ‘Antimicrobial Resistance’. The officers collected samples for analysis.

Investigation is to be taken up and action taken against offenders. Drug inspectors M Chandrasekhar (Patancheru) and N Ravikiran Reddy, (Sangareddy) conducted the raid.