Hyderabad, August 7
Andhra Pradesh will strengthen the State’s drug control authority to weed out fake medicines.
The Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials concerned to better equip the labs and to set up vigilance and intelligence.
Tough action should be initiated against those who manufacture and market fake drugs and the drug control authority will be provided with better infrastructure and manpower, the Chief Minister said at a review meet.
Labs to be strengthened
The Chief Minister directed the officials to draw up an action plan within a month for starting the ‘Drug Control Vigilance and Intelligence’ wing and frame strict guidelines for eradicating malpractices in the production and sale of drugs.
The sample testing capacity in the labs of Vijayawada, Kurnool, and Visakhapatnam, where almost 13,000 samples can be tested, will be increased.
Special focus would be given to conducting periodical inspections on the 34,000 drug stores across the State and also put up a display showing the details of how to lodge a complaint at every outlet and store. All the complaints received will be in a digital database for necessary follow up, according to a release.