Bhubaneswar: After Odisha Television published a report on how spurious drugs are being circulated in State by a company Abhaya Health Care Ltd, the Utkal Chemists and Druggists Association (UCDA) has come forward and revealed that spurious drugs are being sold my many companies in the State.
The UCDA believes that companies from outside the State are illegally circulating such drugs in the State. Such doubts have escalated after Himachal Pradesh-based Abhaya Health Care’s activities came to fore. According to sources, some traders have also been traced who are involved in supplying counterfeit drugs.
Secretary of UCDA, Prabeer Dash said that “Even retailers are approaching companies and purchasing spurious drugs in bulk. We have warned them and we will take action against them. The State government should also take action against them.”
The UCDA has written to the district officials asking them to withdraw the spurious medicines which are in circulation. There are about 18, 000 chemist shops which are under UCDA.
On the other hand, the Directorate of Drugs Control has carried out raids and after Puri it has seized some spurious drugs from Kendrapara as well.
Drugs controller Hrushikesh Mohapatra said, “Orders have been given to seize such drugs. Yesterday, spurious drugs were seized in Kendrapara and samples have been drawn.”
Meanwhile, Health Minister, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said “Whichever company it may be, if we receive reports of it supplying counterfeit drugs, we will take immediate action.”
Earlier, investigations revealed that the network of spurious drugs supplied by the companies stretches from Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan while these drugs are presently sold in several medicine outlets in seven districts of Odisha.
The incident came to the fore during a recent raid on 11 medicine outlets in Cuttack by the Directorate of Drugs Control.