Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader on Monday said the state government was adopting a two-pronged approach to strengthen inspections and enforcement in the food and pharmaceutical sectors, amid complaints regarding expired medicines, mislabelling, and exorbitant prices.

Speaking to reporters here, Khader noted that officials of the Drugs Control Department had taken action based on complaints received from the public and had imposed fines on establishments found violating regulations.

“I have called a meeting with officials on Tuesday to discuss why medicinal centres dealing with drugs are resorting to such practices and how they can be controlled,” he said.

Khader said the government was also concerned about the growing sale of medicines through e-commerce platforms and the storage of medicines at unlicensed premises. He said an important meeting with Drugs Control Department officials had been convened to discuss the issue, including the possibility of introducing new guidelines for the online sale of medicines.

The meeting assumes significance following raids conducted at warehouses associated with a major e-commerce company on Sunday. During the raids, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized medicines worth around Rs 4.2 lakh from two locations for being stored without the required licence.

Officials seized medicines worth Rs 2.45 lakh from a premises at Tattanahalli in Anekal taluk and medicines worth Rs 1.57 lakh from a facility in the Devanahalli Aerospace area. Khader said the medicines at both locations were being stored without the necessary licence.

The minister said the government has introduced barcodes to facilitate the filing and tracking of complaints related to medicines.

“There have been complaints about expired drugs, mislabelling and increased prices. We need to address these issues systematically,” he said.

Khader said price control of medicines was primarily under the purview of the Union government and called for a more proactive approach by the Centre.

He pointed out that in some cases medicines were being sold without the mandatory Maximum Retail Price (MRP) being properly displayed, leading to confusion among consumers. He also cited instances where hospitals charged significantly higher prices for medicines compared to medical shops.

“You go to a hospital, and they charge one rate, while medical shops may provide the same medicine at almost half the price. There is confusion among people in this regard, and we need to address it,” he said.

The minister said the issue had a direct bearing on the financial well-being of patients and their families, particularly those from economically vulnerable sections.

“Many people who are in the Above Poverty Line (APL) category are being pushed into the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category after spending heavily on hospital treatment. They do not know what the margin is — whether it is 50 per cent or 500 per cent,” he said.

He said the government would take action against establishments found violating the rules, while stressing that stronger monitoring was necessary to identify those operating without being detected.

“We have taken action against those who were caught, but there are many who are operating without being caught. These are matters directly concerning people’s health and have an impact on their everyday lives,” he said.

Khader said the upcoming meeting would examine measures to strengthen inspections, regulate the storage and online sale of medicines, and ensure greater transparency in the pricing and distribution of drugs.

–IANS

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