Medicines at government hospitals safe, says Khader
Health Minister UT Khader said Pfizer has not cooperated with the authorities in the investigation. Action will be taken against companies and individuals irrespective of their size or standing, he warned. He said the medicines supplied to government hospitals are safe.
The preliminary investigation revealed that the premises were allegedly being used to procure low-cost medicines from neighbouring states.
These medicines were allegedly refilled into new vials and relabelled to imitate expensive life-saving medicines of multinational companies, particularly imported products under the Pfizer brand, the department said.
Counterfeit labels bearing QR codes were also found, which the department said were non-functional when verified. Officials said the suspected spurious medicines either contained no active medicinal ingredients, incorrect ingredients or toxic substances.
A criminal case has been registered under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The department said conviction under the provision carries a minimum punishment of 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment, along with fines.
The seized spurious medicines, machinery and printing materials are being documented and will be produced before the JMFC Court, Bengaluru South. The SIT has extended the probe to trace the supply chain, while efforts are on to identify and arrest the accused.
The department has urged citizens and patients to purchase life-saving medicines only from licensed pharmacies and obtain valid tax invoices. It advised the public to report suspicious changes in packaging or QR codes that do not scan to drug enforcement authorities.