Shillong: In a bid to combat illegal drug sales and ensure compliance with health regulations, a team from the department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW), Drug Control, initiated an intensive inspection of drug licenses and the sale of banned drugs in pharmacies across Dimapur. The drive will also cover Chümoukedima district.
Addressing the media at the District Hospital Dimapur (DHD), Health minister P Paiwang Konyak revealed that illegal drugs, banned by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), were being sold in some pharmacies. He warned that strict action would be taken against any pharmacy found selling such drugs.
The minister stated that the team would also verify the status of pharmacy licenses, ensuring they were properly renewed and that only qualified pharmacists were operating the establishments. He emphasized that any discrepancies would be addressed, and the ongoing checks would continue in the coming days.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, Deputy Drugs Controller Tiatoshi Amer, who also oversees licensing, explained that the state government had already initiated a crackdown on illegal drugs, in line with the ICMR’s ban on certain categories of medications.
He mentioned that some pharmacies had been found selling banned drugs and that these would be thoroughly inspected. If any such drugs were found, the pharmacy’s license would be revoked.
Additionally, the inspection would focus on pharmacies being run by unauthorized or unqualified individuals. Amer emphasized that the authorities had provided ample time for pharmacies to employ qualified pharmacists, and any failure to comply would result in serious consequences.
Pharmacies operating without valid licenses would be issued a show-cause notice, requiring them to renew their licenses. Failure to comply would lead to license cancellation.
Amer also disclosed that 49 licenses had already been suspended, and if any pharmacies were found to be operating with illegal or invalid documents, the team would recommend the cancellation of their licenses to the government.
