CUTTACK: Even as fake medicines pose a major health risk, the Special Task Force (Drug Enforcement Squad) claimed to have seized different kinds of spurious drugs worth over Rs 1 crore from the state within the last 16 months.
After the sale of spurious BP medicine- Telma AM and Telma-40, manufactured by a fake pharmaceutical company, came to the fore in Cuttack on September 6, 2022, the state government under the supervision of special secretary, Health and Family Welfare Saroj Kumar Mishra and additional secretary Dolamani Patel formed the STF to curb the menace.
In February, the sale of spurious O2 tablets, manufactured by a fake pharma company in the name of Medley Pharmaceuticals was detected in Cuttack on February 28, 2023. The drug, a combination of two antibiotics, is used in the treatment of bacterial and parasitic infections.
Later, the STF detected the sale of spurious Pantocid DSR, manufactured by a fake pharmaceutical company in the name of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, in Angul in July 2023. Pantocid DSR is used in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, acidity and peptic ulcer.
“Following detection of the three kinds of spurious medicines, the STF carried out raids on 22 places across the state and seized spurious medicines worth over Rs 1 crore,” said assistant drug controller, Cuttack, Dharmadev Puhan. Besides, raids were carried out on 17 places outside the state. On the directive of the department’s commissioner-cum-secretary, Shalini Pandit, spurious drugs worth around Rs 7 crore were seized by Uttar Pradesh government from Varanasi with the help of Odisha’s STF, added Puhan.
The STF had filed FIR against 12 persons including six in Cuttack, four in Angul and one each in Bargarh and Jharsuguda of whom police have so far arrested 10 persons including eight from Cuttack and one each from Angul and Bargarh.