Hyderabad: The Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs (TG SAFE) has issued show-cause notices to 111 medical shops in Hyderabad’s CURE limits for violations detected during a crackdown on the illegal sale and diversion of habit-forming drugs. The establishments face possible suspension or cancellation of their drug licences.The action followed a special enforcement drive conducted across Charminar, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki, Malakpet and Goshamahal zones, along with police personnel from its enforcement wing. During the inspections, officials conducted decoy operations and test purchases to check indiscriminate sale of prescription medicines.The violations included selling medicines without prescriptions issued by registered medical practitioners, dispensing drugs in the absence of a registered pharmacist and failing to issue bills to customers. Several shops also failed to maintain or produce sales and purchase bills and mandatory registers for prescription medicines, including Schedule H1 drugs.The medicines under scrutiny included tramadol, tapentadol, nitrazepam, pregabalin-containing formulations, zolpidem, alprazolam and codeine-containing cough syrups. “Further action, including suspension or cancellation of drug licences, will be initiated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and the rules framed under it. The authority reiterates that prescription medicines must be sold only against valid prescriptions issued by registered medical practitioners,” an official said.
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