Maharashtra FDA cancels 29 drug licences after 937 inspections across state in two-week crackdown

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA cancelled 29 drug licences and suspended 71 others after conducting 937 inspections across the state between October 5 and 17 the department said in a press release on FridayThe inspections covered drug manufacturers blood centres and other regulated establishments as well as licensed drugsale premisesThe department also issued 450 notices during the twoweek driveAccording to the FDA its Drugs Section conducted 105 inspections at manufacturing units blood centres and other establishments issuing 68 notices These inspections resulted in the suspension of 22 licences and cancellation of seven licencesThe department also inspected 832 drugsale licensees issuing 382 notices Following these inspections 49 licences were suspended and 22 were cancelledThe inspections formed part of the departmentrsquos enforcement efforts to check compliance with drug regulations and take action against establishments found violating the prescribed norms21 of 279 drug samples fail quality testsDuring the period the FDA tested 279 samples of drugs and related products Of these 258 met the prescribed standards while 21 failed to comply with the required quality normsThe failed samples included 18 classified as Not of Standard Quality NSQ two that were misbranded and one identified as spurious The department said products were recalled in five casesLaboratorywise 119 samples were tested in Mumbai of which 10 failed to meet the prescribed standards In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar seven of the 133 samples tested failed while Nagpur reported four failed samples out of 27 testedSeparately FDA officials drew 149 samples during the twoweek period These comprised 115 allopathic drug samples 14 Ayurvedic samples 17 cosmetics samples and three homoeopathic samplesGoods worth Rs 2852 lakh seized in five casesThe FDA reported five enforcement cases during the period including four under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and one under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances NDPS Act The total value of the goods seized in these cases was Rs 2852304In Jalna officials seized allopathic medicines worth Rs 58772 from Navjeevan Medical and General Stores in Siraswadi The establishment was allegedly found continuing to stock medicines at unlicensed premises after surrendering its licencesIn Nagpur the FDA seized stock worth Rs 2203744 from Phoenix Medicorp at Bharatmata Chowk in Jagannath Budhwari The premises were allegedly being used to store medicines despite the surrender of the establishmentrsquos licencesIn Baramati Pune district officials seized goods worth Rs 405678 from Vedas Herbals Mahila Gruh Udyog in Jalochi over the alleged unlicensed manufacture of soapIn Vasai East Palghar district the department seized packing materials raw materials and machinery worth Rs 183918 from GB Cosmetics at Ruby Industrial Estate The unit was allegedly involved in the unlicensed manufacture packing and sale of nail polishIn Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar an FIR was registered under the NDPS Act 1985 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act against two people in connection with the alleged illegal purchase and sale of 34 tablets of Nitrazepam sold under the brand name Nitrosun 10 Both accused were arrested The seized tablets were valued at Rs 192The four cases registered under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act involved goods worth Rs 2852112 while the NDPSrelated case involved tablets valued at Rs 192FDA urges citizens to buy medicines from licensed chemistsThe FDA has urged citizens to purchase medicines only from licensed chemists and insist on bills for their purchases The department has also appealed to the public to report suspected unlicensed drug sales substandard or spurious medicines and cosmetics and the sale of psychotropic substances without a prescriptionComplaints can be submitted through the FDArsquos portal at complaintsmahafdain or to the nearest FDA officeThe department has reiterated the importance of public cooperation in identifying violations and preventing the sale of medicines and other regulated products that do not meet prescribed standards