A week after the seizure of a huge quantity of spurious antibiotic medicines from Cuttack city, officials of the State Drug Controller have seized spurious medicines worth around Rs 1.70 lakh during raids in two distributors in Jharsuguda and Bargarh townships.
Drugs worth Rs 1.70 lakh have been seized from Amit Medical Agencies in Jharsuguda and Vikash & Co in Bargarh after manufacturers confirmed that medicines were not manufactured by them, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.
These drugs were supplied from three firms located in Varanasi. The credentials of these units, provided by the Uttar Pradesh government confirmed that their drug licenses have been cancelled, said officials.
Further investigation is on and action will be taken as per law against the agencies selling the fake drugs western Odisha, the drugs control authorities informed.
Odisha drugs enforcement team is in touch with other state governments, including Uttar Pradesh to establish chain of supply and complete other formalities.
Screening of the market is being continuously undertaken by the Health & Family Welfare department. Stop sale orders are being issued wherever any suspicious activity is found, they said.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has directed the officials to intensify raids on stores selling spurious medicines in the state.
Directions have been issued to all field officers and enforcement squads to stay vigilant on the medicines coming from outside the state, and intensify the raids on all suspicious points, persons, distributors and chemist shops.
The officials were also asked to take stringent action against those found guilty.
Legal cases were filed against the concerned agency and medicine shops following seizure of the duplicate medicines from different places, the officials added.