FDA monitors illegal sale of medicine in Goa

by MICHAEL FISHER
Posted on 2009-02-24
PANAJI- It is mandatory by law that medicine must be sold only against the prescription of a doctor. On this score, the FDA through its inspectors are working out ways to make it mandatory that every prescription medicine must also be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist only.
It has come to light recently, when the FDA drug inspectors objected a salesperson from transacting business with doctors and pharmacy retailers in a Panaji hotel. Such unregistered salespersons in Goa are flooding the Goan market with stimulating drugs manufactured in other states.
When contacted, the FDA director, Mr Pramod Jain said: “Investigations are going on,” and added, “our priorities are first to safeguard the interest of Goa’s industries.”
The FDA has in place pharmaceutical and drug inspectors who carry out regular inspections at pharmacies, wholesalers, distributors and the pharmaceutical industry.
A Margao chemist, who wishes anonymity, said that a lot of sales reps from outside the state offload their stocks that contains mostly of ketamine, fortwine, sleeping pills, sidenafil (viagra) and a host of other stimulating or dubbed as performing drugs in Goa’s hospitality sector during the tourist season from October to March.
Whether the drugs are genuine or spurious, the reps have a waiting market in shacks, hotels, masseur parlours and spa resorts, the chemist said.
“These people may also not be medical reps just plain salesmen selling over the counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products that do not require a prescription,” said Mr Dilip Salgoancar, president of the Goa Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers Association. “Since it is under investigation, we fully support FDA inspectors to stamp out such illegalities,” he adds.
Least affected by the current meltdown, some 124 pharmaceutical manufacturers that includes bottling, packaging in Goa, employing 18,000 people (a GCCI record) are quietly enjoying their unaffected industry. The Goa’s pharma market is lucrative, said drug retailers who claim that salespersons representing manufacturers from other states are sourcing business from hospitals, doctors and pharmacy retailers. If that is not enough, they have a ready market in the hospitality sector such as resorts and spas, hotels and masseur parlours waiting for them.
The fact that the some of these so-called performing or stimulating drugs, sold without a prescription have had destructive effects on people’s lives have gone unreported fearing a backlash, and is swept under the rug, assumes pharmaceutical retailers in Margao and Panaji. The operators of shacks and spa resorts may not be aware of the legal requirements that apply to the business when dealing with such salespeople and should come under the scanner of the FDA inspectors, the industry suggests.
FDA through its inspectors are working out ways to make it mandatory that every prescription medicine must be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist and not a masseur and through unlicensed premises, a source close to FDA said.
Goa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing turnover is estimated at over Rs 3,500 crores, out of which Rs 1,500 crores are exported. About 500 retailers estimate the retailing business to be over Rs 1,000 crores and the balance is transported to other states. The so-called performing drugs, like Viagra’s is estimated to be around Rs 10 crores, growing at 3 to 5 per cent. CIPLA, a major manufacturer, alone has nine plants in Verna industrial estate is believed to be transporting over 150 trucks monthly around India.