Drug Control raids expose painkiller sale violations at 55 medical shops in Andhra Pradesh

The State Drug Control Administration conducted inspections at medical shops across Andhra Pradesh following the arrest of five persons in Eluru district last week for allegedly selling Tramadol, a pain reliever that can have intoxicating effects, without a doctor’s prescription.

According to a release from the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department, violations were detected at 55 of the 100 medical shops inspected across the State. While 53 shops were found to have committed minor violations, large quantities of medicines had been purchased and sold without the relevant bills at two shops in Krishna and NTR districts.

Officials seized the purchase documents and submitted a report on the findings to Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav. The inspections were conducted on the instructions of Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav and under the supervision of Drug Control Administration Director-General Arun Babu, following the discovery of a large number of empty and broken injection vials and used syringes in an oil-palm plantation at Vegavaram village in Jangareddygudem.

The injections were identified as Tramadol injections sold under the brand names Tramodex and Tramec. Following the incident, officials traced the distribution details of Tramadol manufacturers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

During the inspections, officials found that some medical shops in Eluru district had purchased large quantities of the injections. In one case, Sri Lakshmi Srinivasa Medical Agency had purchased 20,000 Tramadol injections through two bills this year.

As the agency failed to produce sale bills, officials conducted raids at various locations and seized 7,550 injections. In another case, D. Roopa Peddinti Medical Agency was found to have purchased 5,200 Tramec injections over the past two years.

The agency produced bills showing that 3,930 injections had been sold to a medical shop in Telangana. However, officials in Telangana found the transaction to be fraudulent. The investigation revealed that fake bills had been prepared and that the medicines had actually been supplied to other medical shops without bills.

Five persons were arrested in connection with the case. Mr. Arun Babu said the licences of those involved in illegal transactions would be cancelled. Strict legal action would also be taken against the illegal transportation and unauthorised storage of Tramadol and its sale without proper records.