Drug violations surge in Telangana, medicines worth crores seized

Report highlights an increase in Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs.

Hyderabad: Drug-related violations, including the sale of fake and substandard medicines, illegal retailing without a license, and unauthorized stocking by unqualified practitioners, have increased sharply in Telangana. In response, the Telangana State Drug Control Administration (TSDCA) seized medicines worth Rs.7.46 crore in 2024.

According to TSDCA’s annual report, presented by Director General V.B. Kamalsan Reddy, the number of cases registered for drug-related offenses rose from 56 in 2023 to 573 in 2024. During raids this year, authorities confiscated spurious drugs worth Rs.2.36 crore.

TSDCA also worked with the Prohibition and Excise Department to seize medicines worth Rs.11.32 crore. Additionally, drugs worth Rs.61.61 lakh were recovered from illegal practitioners who had stocked them for sale.

The report highlights an increase in Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs. In 2024, the Drug Control Laboratory identified 130 NSQ drugs, compared to 79 in 2023. The percentage of such drugs increased from 1.73% in 2023 to 3.33% in 2024.

A major achievement for TSDCA this year was the launch of a collaboration forum with the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). Telangana has around 200 USFDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing sites that export medicines to the U.S.