VIJAYAWADA: The Drug Control Administration (DCA) officials of Krishna district are learnt to have kept a vigilant eye on drug traders and suppliers who are running their businesses without validate licence. They have also decided to conduct continuous raids in the city to eliminate illegal traders and outlets.
As part of it, on Saturday, the DCA conducted raids in Suryaraopet where a shop was being maintained with the name of ‘Johnson and Johnson’ and had a stock of orthopaedic implants worth `3.42 crore. The officials are yet to confirm if the shop was being maintained as a storage depot or operated as a trading unit to supply implants to orthopaedic hospitals. Either way, the owner does not have any authorised licence.
The DCA officials suggested the city doctors to verify the licences of medical distributors before putting an indent for required medicines when their representatives approach the hospitals. Also, the officials warned of initiating legal action against doctors encouraging such illegal traders and distributors.
As Vijayawada is largely incorporated with hospitals and medicines, surgical and implants outlets, crores of health business activity is happening in the city.
“Continuous raids will be conducted on outlets and distributors doing business without any valid licence. Doctors in the city must be cautious before giving orders through representatives from pharma companies, implants and surgical manufacturing companies,” Krishna district DCA assistant director Paruchuri Rambabu told Express.