Rashmi Rekha Das

If blood pressure patients are consuming Telma 40 medicines bearing batch number 18211055 manufactured by Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, they need to be careful because it is alleged that fake Telma 40 medicines are being sold by the Pharmaceutical Company.

Directorate of Drugs Control (DDC) sleuths on Friday raided different medicine kiosks in the state Capital for allegedly selling spurious medicines in Bhubaneswar, on Friday.

The team seized Telma 40 medicines during the raid. These medicines are prescribed for patients suffering from blood pressure.

The Directorate of Drugs Control conducted raids after a consumer brought this allegation. Taking a tough stand against the drug sellers, the concerned authorities issued directions to call back the medicines supplied from the said stockists to the wholesalers and retailers. The officials have also seized the stock of Telma 40 medicines from the drugstores.

The medicines are being manufactured from Sikkim. 

Prabesh Lenka, a concerned authority, said, “A consumer had brought this allegation that fake Telma 40 is being sold under the cover of  Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. Following the allegations, we have asked drug sellers to withdraw Telma 40 medicines from market. We have also instructed not to sell Telma-40 medicines bearing this particular batch number. These medicines have come to Odisha on August 23.”

“We have written to Glenmark authorities asking them to confirm whether Telma 40 was being manufactured by them. These medicines have been supplied to other states too. We have not declared it spurious because we are yet to avail test report and we are awaiting the report of the concerned manufacturing authorities of the medicines,” he added. 

On Thursday, the Drugs Control administration conducted raids on two medicine stockists in Manighosh Bazaar area under Purighat police limits of Cuttack for allegedly selling duplicate medicines. Samples were collected and have been sent for laboratory tests. 

Now, concerns have been raised about whether the medicines available at the retail stores in the twin city are authentic or not. Even, people have expressed worries if syndicates are circulating fake drugs with the trademark of expensive brands for other medicines as well.  

Ever since the reports of fake drugs circulated, it has streamed a panic among consumers. While consumers say they just take a look at the expiry date of the drugs which in no way will help identify the fake drugs, retail medicine store owners only check the stockist label and date before procuring.

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