Telangana Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha has directed officials to take stringent action against manufacturers, distributors, and retailers involved in counterfeit, banned, or substandard medicines. The directive follows a review of the Drugs Control Administration (DCA), which conducted over 16,000 inspections between January and July 2025 alone. During this period, 7,200 drug samples were tested, with 186 found substandard, and around 700 cases filed. The minister emphasized the critical importance of quality medicines, warning against negligence and misleading practices.

Key highlights

Inspections and enforcement actions

• From January 2024 to July 2025, 25,939 inspections were carried out by DCA.

• 4,142 institutions were penalized in 2024-25, and 2,827 violators were acted against in the current year.

• Manufacturers repeatedly violating norms may face permanent closure.

Focus on spurious drugs and prescription violations

• Strict action against companies selling counterfeit drugs, banned formulations, or antibiotics without prescriptions.

• Officials instructed to monitor misleading advertisements and disguised medicines sold as food items.

Strengthening regulatory infrastructure

• Drug testing labs to be upgraded for faster and more accurate quality checks.

• New drug inspector positions to be sanctioned to reinforce enforcement.

• Minister confirmed that quality medicines and food safety will remain a top priority.

Telangana is stepping up enforcement to safeguard patient health and uphold pharma standards across the state. The focus on inspections, stricter penalties, and infrastructure improvements is designed to eliminate substandard and counterfeit drugs from the market. Pharmacies, distributors, and manufacturers are urged to comply strictly with regulations, as the government continues to protect the integrity of India’s drug supply.