Hospital pharmacies, drug distributors come under FDA scanner

The development follows the Special Investigation Team's probe into the suspected network and its efforts to establish which hospitals had allegedly received medicines from the chain.

Bengaluru: The alleged fake drug racket has widened the regulatory scrutiny of hospitals and medicine suppliers, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taking action against pharmacies and examining the role of distributors involved in supplying critical medicines.

The development follows the Special Investigation Team’s probe into the suspected network and its efforts to establish which hospitals had allegedly received medicines from the chain. More than 15 hospital pharmacies, including pharmacies in Bengaluru, have been issued notices, and authorities have initiated action to cancel licences where violations are detected.

Distributors and medical representatives involved in supplying cancer medicines, life-saving drugs and ICU injections are also being questioned. Investigators are checking whether the suppliers complied with prescribed quality, storage and distribution standards.

The FDA is also examining the records of distributors and other intermediaries to determine whether regulatory norms were breached. Licence cancellation is among the measures being considered against those found violating the rules.

In a separate regulatory move, the department has begun focusing on online medicine sales, especially platforms and companies promoting medicines with steep discounts. Random testing of medicines is expected to be carried out to assess their quality.

Another concern is the online sale of prescription medicines. Authorities are examining whether prescriptions are being properly verified before orders are processed. There are also concerns over customers being offered alternative brands or different medicines instead of the drugs prescribed by their doctors.

Officials are assessing whether such substitutions could compromise treatment effectiveness or patient safety.

The FDA’s expanded action comes as the SIT continues to trace the suspected supply chain, identify hospitals and suppliers linked to the racket and determine whether further regulatory violations occurred at different stages of the medicine distribution process.