THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state drugs control department has proposed a temporary ban on interstate medicine supplies to block fake and stolen government drugs from entering the state through unauthorised discount channels.
To prevent counterfeit and spoiled medications from flooding the market, the department has asked the state government to prohibit these external supply sources and mandate that all medicines flow directly from manufacturers to approved local stockists.
A senior official confirmed that while the ban will not be permanent, it is an essential intervention to cut off shady procurement networks while the state strengthens its regulatory and tracking mechanisms. TNIE highlighted the menace of the cross-border discount racket on June 3.
This supply-chain loophole emerged following the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which granted drug stockists the freedom to source medications from anywhere across the country. Despite the national GST regime, authorities maintain that the state holds the necessary legal powers to execute an independent supply ban to protect public health.
The urgency follows intense scrutiny into some pharmacies offering “impossible” discounts of up to 90% on life-saving drugs. While manufacturers enforce a strict 16% margin on products like insulin, a shadowy cross-border supply chain has been traced back to bulk dealers in Agra, Mathura, Hyderabad, and Madurai, bypassing safety protocols to offer predatory pricing.
Supporting the proposal, A N Mohan, state president of the All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA), emphasised that corporate drug stores are using these unchecked channels to stifle local retail pharmacies. Mohan stressed that the issue has escalated into a critical public health challenge, urging the government to lead by prioritising drug quality over market pricing. Reverting to the authorised channel would ensure transparent batch-tracking if quality concerns arise.