‘The task force aims at making Andhra Pradesh free of spurious drugs’

P Ananthasayanam Reddy, IPS, Additional Director-General, Drugs Control Administration, Andhra Pradesh, who has occupied several important posts in the police department and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has constituted a special task force for the first time in the regulatory set-up in India to tackle the menace of spurious and substandard drugs and gather intelligence on violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Reddy, who has also tightened the screws on the entire department, says the reform has started paying dividends. We present excerpts from an exclusive interview by P Ram Kumar

What are the reforms introduced for improving the drug control administration in Andhra Pradesh?

For the first time in India, we set up a special task force in January 2003 with the objective of taking speedy action against the menace of spurious drugs, sub-standard drugs and for the detection of violations under the Acts. The task force, which is headed by the joint director, drugs control administration, is assisted by two assistant directors and two drug inspectors. Besides monitoring the cases launched under the various Acts, this panel is also responsible for the collection of intelligence about drugs which violate various Acts and organising and co-ordinating raids, based on information and complaints received by us.

It also co-ordinates with the central agencies and monitors the cases filed in the courts. This measure is being implemented with the existing strength of manpower. Every drug inspector is required to fulfil the parameters fixed for conducting inspection of medical shops, detection of violations etc. On an average, a drug inspector has to make 45 routine inspections of medical shops and 10 detailed inspections, besides detecting violations and collecting drug samples every month.

How successful has this task force been?

Apart from detection of spurious drugs and violations, the task force team recently unearthed two unlicensed medical shops. It seized 50 varieties of drugs worth Rs 15,000 from a medical shop in Nalgonda district and produced the seller in the court. Drugs worth Rs 16,000 were seized from another medical shop in the same district.

The team also seized a cheque worth Rs 12 lakh and certain documents from a Hyderabad-based firm in connection with the issue of fake bills to medical agencies in Vijayawada and Narsaraopet.

The presence of the task force has created greater awareness among the public about the distribution of spurious drugs and is also acting as a check on the activities of unscrupulous elements involved in the sale of spurious drugs in the state.

What are the spurious drugs seized by your officials?

During the last six months, spurious drugs and equipment meant for making them, all worth around Rs 2.5 crore, have been seized by the drug control administration and cases have been filed against the accused in appropriate courts. The offenders generally choose popular brands for the counterfeit drugs. It is very difficult for general public to differentiate between the genuine and fake products.

Some of the spurious drugs seized include Actifed tablets purported to be manufactured by (Burroughs Wellcome), Arythrocin tablets (Abbott Lab), Cifran tablets (Ranbaxy), Viagra tablets (Pfizer), Deewax Ear Drops (Endoven), Gestic tablets (Laser Labs), Co-trimoxazole (Cadila), Parven capsules (Jason), etc.

A company at Hyderabad was making betanicol chloride tablets, purported to be produced by Glenwood, GMBN, Stanberg of Germany. Under the Drug and Magic Remedies Act (objectionable advertisements), nearly 60 cases have been booked. With regard to ayurvedic and unani products, we have the power to take action if allopathy drugs are mixed in the products.

My staff has seized an ayurvedic capsule, which is claimed to increase sexual potency as it was mixed with sildenafil citrate. Nearly Rs 70 lakh worth of this capsule was seized by our team. Physician samples worth more than Rs 1 lakh were seized in Hyderabad from a godown. Similarly, drugs meant for use in government hospitals, including Central Government Health Service centres, were seized from persons who did not have valid documents. In addition to the detection of spurious drugs, violation of Acts, our drug inspectors raided factories which were making bulk drugs and formulations without obtaining licences.

Which are the areas more prone to complaints with regards to the sale of spurious drugs in AP?

We are booking cases against the offenders throughout Andhra Pradesh. In recent times, the incidents of spurious drug sales and detection of violations have been in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Nalgonda, Bongir, Shamshabad and Eluru.

What about conviction in these cases?

During the nine-month period ended December 2002, we filed 196 cases against various offences. Out of 32 judgements, which have been given so far, 26 are in favour of the regulatory authorities and six cases have been acquitted.

Another 55 cases have been filed under Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) violations and offences under the Drug and Magic Remedies Act. Under the Drug and Cosmetics Act, there have been two convictions, with sentences of five years and 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fine. Out of a total of 3,566 drug samples collected all over India during 2001-2002, 115 samples were from Andhra Pradesh.

We often see advertisements by companies, including ayurvedic and unani firms, claiming cure for incurable ailments like diabetes, asthma, hypertension, AIDS etc. Have you taken action against these firms?

For the alternative systems of medicine, there is a separate department for granting approvals for making the products. For quality standards, these products do not come under the purview of my administration. We take action against the manufacturers/advertisers of these products if the same are mixed with allopathy drugs. The Task Force has booked cases against firms/ individuals coming under this category.During the last one year, how many new licences have been issued by your office for opening medical shops/blood banks in AP?

Over 3000 new licences were issued for opening new medical shops during the last one year in the state and the new blood banks account for 15.

What are your future plans?

I am aiming at making Andhra Pradesh free of spurious drugs and the focus would be on providing safe and cost-effective drugs to the people.