In a serious crackdown, the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) has cancelled the licenses of 89 chemists and suspended the licenses of 488 others throughout the Pune division. Most of them had been discovered violating the Medication and Cosmetics Act of 1940.
The Pune division consists of the Pune, Solapur, Satara, Kolhapur, and Sangli districts. Nonetheless, a lot of the violators, greater than 70%, are from the Pune district, mentioned the officers. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)
This motion was taken after inspections had been carried out between April 2024 and March 2025. The Pune division consists of the Pune, Solapur, Satara, Kolhapur, and Sangli districts. Nonetheless, a lot of the violators, greater than 70%, are from the Pune district, mentioned the officers.
The 89 errant chemists whose licenses had been cancelled embody 22 wholesalers, distributors, and 67 retailers. Whereas 488 violators embody 56 wholesalers, distributors, and 432 retailers.
The inspection of chemist outlets, wholesalers, distributors and retailers was carried out between April 2024 and March 2025 and likewise included shock visits, mentioned Girish Hukare, joint commissioner, FDA(Drug) Pune Division.
FDA officers mentioned the chemists had been discovered responsible of great violations, together with promoting medicines with out payments, not sustaining information, promoting medication with out prescriptions, and never protecting registered pharmacists on the outlets.
A senior FDA officer mentioned, “We conducted regular and surprise inspections across all districts. Strict action has been taken only after giving the chemists a chance to explain their side. The accused is given a chance twice to explain their side before the action is taken. We aim to ensure the safe and legal sale and distribution of medicines.”
Hukare mentioned the licenses had been suspended solely in case of great violations that might pose severe public well being hazards.
“The licenses were cancelled in the incident of unavailability of the chemist at the store. This is serious, as dispensing the wrong medicines by an unqualified person can pose grave health hazards to the patients. Also, licenses were cancelled when the chemists were found selling habit-forming drugs, narcotic drugs and pregnancy termination kits without prescriptions and records,” he mentioned.