Lok Sabha Question No. 177 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-31
Subject: Sale of Sedative Drugs
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAKESH SINGH

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO. 177**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 31** **ST** **JULY, 2015**

**Sale of Sedative Drugs**

**†*177. SHRI RAKESH SINGH:**

Will the Minister of **HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE** be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of illegal sale of cough syrups and tablets/injections without proper medical prescription targeting the younger generation who use them as sedatives and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether instances of illegal supply of such drugs to foreign countries have also been reported in the recent past and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the number of such complaints received, illegal consignment of sedative drugs including cough syrup seized from the drug stores and action taken against the errant drug dealers during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UTwise; and

(d) the measures being taken by the Government to frame stringent rules and their strict enforcement to ensure that these drugs are sold only on doctor's prescription in the country?

**ANSWER**

**THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE**

**(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)**

(a) to (d)  A statement is laid on the Table of the House

**STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO.177 FOR 31** **ST** **JULY, 2015**

(a): Sale and distribution of drugs in the country is regulated under the provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules made there under by the State Licensing Authorities.  As per information made available by States/Union Territories, illegal sale of tablets/injections and cough syrups containing habit forming drugs such as codeine has been reported in the country.

(b): Instances of illegal supply of Phensedyl cough syrup containing Codeine phosphate to foreign countries have been detected in the country.

(c): The requisite details are indicated in the Annexure.

(d): The sale of drugs is required to be regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. These rules inter alia prescribe that sale of prescription drugs at retail level and supply of any drug otherwise than by way of wholesale, can be effected only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner, under the personal supervision of a registered pharmacist. Further, proper records are also required to be maintained in case of prescription drugs.

**Annexure**

|   **S. N.** | **Name of States**   | **Reply to Part (c), the number of such complaints received, illegal consignment of sedative drugs including cough syrup seized from the drug stores and action taken against the errant drug dealers during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|          1. | Andhra Pradesh       | No such complaints were received. However, 16 Cases were detected. Out of 16 cases in 7 cases complaints are filled in the Hon’ble Courts against the responsible person and shops for stock and sale of drugs. Investigation in under way in respect of 9 cases.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|          2. | Arunachal Pradesh    | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|          3. | Assam                | Two court cases have been lunched in the month of June, 2015 against two illegal dealers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|          4. | Bihar                | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|          5. | Goa                  | Does not arise                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|          6. | Gujarat              | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|          7. | Haryana              | No such report/complaint of spurious of such drugs to forgein countries.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|          8. | Himachal Pradesh     | Details of number of illegal consignment received from drugs stores and action taken against errant drugs dealer is as follows.  Year Details of Number of illegal consignment received from drugs stores Action Taken 2012-13 02 1-Legal 1-Under Investigation 2013-14 03 02—Legal action 01-Under Investigation  2014-15 02 02-Under Investigation April2015-June 2015 Nil Nil                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|          9. | Jammu & Kashmir      | Seizures of Habit forming drugs have been made in 10 cases.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|         10. | Karnataka            | Details of number of cases filed in respect of illegal sale of Cough syrup & habit forming drugs.  Year No. of Cases filed 2012-13 4 2013-14 1 2014-15 2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|         11. | Kerala               | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         12. | Madhya Pradesh       | No, however one case of Codeine Cough Syrup reported by the police and narcotics department of Kami District which was published in newspaper but no such information has been received by the Drug Control Administration.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|         13. | Maharashtra          | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         14. | Manipur              | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         15. | Meghalaya            | Does not arise                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|         16. | Mizoram              | Year No. of complaint received No. of drugs seized No. of drugs seized No. of drugs seized No. of action taken against drugs store Year No. of complaint received Cough syrup Alprazolam Nitrazepam No. of action taken against drugs store 2012-13 2 nos. 260 phs. 45000 tabs. - 2 2013-14 1no. 971 phs. 100 Tabs. - 1 2014-15 4 17796 phs 12300 tabs. 6000 tabs 4 Current year - - - - -                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|         17. | Nagaland             | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         18. | Orissa               | Data awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|         19. | Punjab               | **Period 01.01.2012 to 30.05.2015**  (i) Total number of chemists / person from  where habit forming drugs seized:433  (ii) Number of licenses suspended: 291  (iii) Number of licenses cancelled: 16  (iv) Number of court cases launched: 66                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|         20. | Rajasthan            | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         21. | Sikkim               | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         22. | Tamil Nadu           | Legal action has been initiated against 53 licences for having sold drugs without prescription and penal section of 27 of Drugs and Cosmetics Act has been amended to enhance the fine and imprisonment on 10.08.2009                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|         23. | Tripura              | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         24. | Uttar Pradesh        | 1. In the year 2012-13, 02 FIR were lodged, 03 persons were arrested and Sedative drugs worth Rs. 5,15,000 were seized. 2. In the year 2013-14, 03 FIR were lodged, 8 persons were arrested and Sedative drugs worth Rs. 100000 were seized 3. In the year 2014-15, 04 FIR were lodged, 04 persons were arrested and Sedative drugs worth Rs. 260960 were seized 4. In the year 2015-16(upto june, 2015), 01 FIR were lodged, 01 persons were arrested and Sedative drugs worth Rs. 50000 were seized & 01 Complaint case was filed and Drugs worth Rs. 250000 were seized |
|         25. | West Bengal          | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         26. | Pondicherry          | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         27. | Andaman & Nicobar    | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         28. | Chandigarh           | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         29. | Delhi                | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         30. | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         31. | Daman & Diu          | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         32. | Lakshadweep          | Nil                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         33. | Chhattisgarh         | 6 cases reported for illegal trading of cough syrup in the State and prosecution launch against errant dealers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|         34. | Jharkhand            | Year No. of Complaints Received no. of raids conducted Action taken 2013 - - - 2014 2 15 FIR -2, License Suspension-6 2015 1 16 FIR-5, License Suspension-6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|         35. | Uttarakhand          | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         36. | Telangana            | Response awaited                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |