Lok Sabha Question No. 2024 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Black Marketing of COVID-19 Medicines
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh, Satyadev Pachauri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARR ED QUESTION NO. 2024 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH JULY, 2021

## BLACK MARKETING OF C OVID - 19 MEDICINES

## 2024. SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH: SHRI SATYADEV PACHAURI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WE LFARE be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  action  against  medicine  companies  manufacturin COVID - 19 injections like Remdesivir and Amphotericin for manipulating their production and stock to create artificial shortage and encourage black marketing during the peak of COV - 19 infections, thereby causing losses of lives;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government proposes to conduc t an audit of these companies in order to gather evidence and punish them; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( DR. BHARATI PRAVIN P AWAR )

(a)  to  (d):  Central  Drugs  Standard  Control  Organisation  (CDSCO),  Ministry  of  Health Family Welfare regulates quality, safety and efficacy of Drugs, Medical Device and Cosme in the country under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rule s made thereunder. CDSCO has been monitoring production and supplies of the Covid - 19 drugs in respect of the concerned manufacturers on regular basis.

CDSCO has granted approval to 40 additional manufacturing sites of Remdesivir on f track basis during April - June 2021 increasing the capacity of production from 38.8 lakhs/month in April 2021 to 122.49 lakhs/month in June 2021. Similarly, in case of Liposomal Amphote B injection manufacturing permissions were granted by CDSCO to 11 additional manufac turers, on fast track basis, increasing the production capacity and supplies of the drug. Further, permissions were also granted for import of these drugs from various sources in accordanc Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules there under .

Department  of  Pharmaceuticals/ CDSCO/National  Pharmaceuticals  Pricing  Authority (NPPA)  have  jointly  monitored  the  production  and  availability  of  drugs  like  Remdesivir Amphotericin - B etc. in light of COVID - 19 pandemic situation.

Licenses  for  manufact ure,  sale  and  distribution  of  drugs  are  granted  by  the  Sta Licensing  Authorities  (SLAs)  appointed  by  respective  State  Governments.  SLAs  are  lega empowered to take stringent action against violation of provisions of the Drugs and Cos Act and Rule s made thereunder.

As  regards  black - marketing  issues,  CDSCO  has  requested  all  States/UTs  Licensing Authorities  through  several  advisories  to  instruct  their  enforcement  staff  to  keep  st especially at sensitive places and to take stringent action against the offenders by conducting special drive of monitoring and investigation.

As per information available from various State Licensing Authorities, in case of -marketing/hoarding/  overcharging  of  COVID -19  management  drugs,  various  enforcement actions like Drug seizure, Arrests of accused persons/ registration of FIR etc. have bee out by the State Licensing Authorities.