As per the directive, inspection teams will verify whether licensed firms are operating from approved premises and if adequate drug storage facilities are available. Officials will also check the presence of a competent person and verify their experience certificates.
The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has ordered a statewide physical verification of all licensed wholesale drug establishments and warehouses following a recent crackdown that detected bogus and non-functional firms, some allegedly linked to the misuse of codeine-based cough syrups and narcotic medicines, officials said.
FSDA Commissioner Roshan Jacob has instructed all assistant commissioners (drugs) and drug inspectors to begin the verification drive across the state from February 2026. The move follows a two-month enforcement drive during which authorities found that several licensed firms were not operating from their registered addresses.
“The decision follows enforcement drives during which it was found that several licensed firms were non-existent at their registered locations,” Roshan Jacob said.
As per the directive, inspection teams will verify whether licensed firms are operating from approved premises and if adequate drug storage facilities are available. Officials will also check the presence of a competent person and verify their experience certificates.
The teams will further examine whether drugs are being stored at locations other than licensed premises and, if so, whether a separate warehouse licence has been obtained.
The FSDA has also permitted wholesale drug licensees to voluntarily surrender their licences before the verification drive begins. Such applications will be accepted and processed for cancellation at the competent level.
In addition, drug inspectors have been directed to issue district-level public advisories, asking building owners to independently verify whether tenants running wholesale drug businesses on their premises hold valid licences.
Roshan Jacob said she has instructed all field officers to ensure strict compliance with the directions, adding that violations will invite action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Source: Hindustan Times
