The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken significant enforcement action against medical stores in Mumbai. Between June and August, the agency inspected 2,295 retail establishments across the state. As a result, it suspended 599 licenses and canceled an additional 141 for violations of drug-sale regulations. This crackdown aims to ensure compliance with health standards and safeguard public health.
The FDA also inspected 607 manufacturing establishments, resulting in regulatory action against 140 — 78 units had their licences suspended, while licences of the remaining 62 were cancelled. The FDA conducted 104 search-and-seizure operations, seizing illegal drugs and cosmetics worth Rs 11.41 crore. Twenty FIRs were registered and 21 people arrested.
Poor hygiene, dust accumulation and inadequate refrigeration were also reported. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
Inspections found medicines being sold without bills or prescriptions, expired drugs kept alongside saleable stock and temperature-sensitive medicines such as insulin and vaccines stored at normal temperatures instead of prescribed cold-chain conditions, according to an FDA release. FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said, “Inspections were being accelerated to ensure drug quality and patient safety, with strict action against violators. Some stores were operating without direct supervision of registered pharmacists, while discrepancies were found between recorded and actual stocks. Several retailers had also failed to maintain mandatory Schedule H1 records, while sales bills in some establishments didn’t mention batch numbers and manufacturing and expiry dates. Discrepancies were found in records of narcotic and narcotic-like drugs. In manufacturing units, the FDA found lapses that included inadequate technical staff, gaps in quality-control testing, incomplete batch records and manufacture of unapproved or substandard drugs. Download the TOI App.