JAMMU: To curb the misuse of pharmaceutical preparations containing habit-forming ingredients, Empowered Authorities of Drugs & Food Control Organisation J&K undertook a major drive to identify & take punitive action against unscrupulous elements dealing with such drugs in a clandestine manner.

During the drive, it surfaced that some wholesale firms are indulging in procurement of certain pharmaceutical preparations, containing Pregabalin as an active ingredient, which is prone to addiction, directly from the suppliers based outside Jammu & Kashmir through a clandestine manner.

Upon scrutiny of records of such firms, it was established that they have procured & distributed these medicinal preparations without maintaining the sales records properly as mandated under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 & rules there under.

Therefore, punitive action was initiated against Nine Pharma Dealers & their Drug Sale Licenses were suspended.

Stocks of pharmaceutical preparations which are prone to addiction worth over Rs 13,58 lakh have also been seized from the supply chain to avoid their pilferage into the hands of the nefarious elements & custody permission of the same have been obtained from the Court of Law.

State Drugs Controller, J&K Lotika Khajuria has warned against such practices. "No person/firm shall indulge in procurement of lesser-known brands of drugs formulations consisting of habit forming ingredients directly from the suppliers, manufacturers located outside Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in a clandestine manner or through online platforms or through courier service providers/speed post etc &.

In case any violation is reported, the defaulters shall be dealt strictly in accordance with zero-tolerance policy adopted by Union Territory of J&K against persons involved in promoting drug abuse which warrants the cancellation of such licences as also legal mandate" the Authorities warned