Health for Health Vidadala Rajini has directed the officials concerned to keep conducting inspections of medical stores on a regular basis in order to check for spurious drugs. A meeting was held in the secretariat here to review with the officials of the drugs department on curbing the fake drugs menace in the state. 

Addressing the meeting, the Health Minister instructed the officials to take stringent steps to prevent the manufacturing and selling of fake drugs in the state. “All medical stores should be inspected from time to time by the drug inspectors. Each drug inspector should inspect at least 50 medical stores in a month. Stringent action should be taken if fake drugs are found”, she told the drug inspectors. 

The Minister asked the drug inspectors to ensure that expired drugs would not be sold. The license of those who do not follow the norms should be canceled, she told them. Vidadala Rajini said that there are allegations against the blood banks in the state and action should be taken if the allegation were provided. She asked the officials to identify the blood banks which do not conduct blood donation camps. All steps should be taken to ensure that blood and platelets are sold at the prescribed price. 

She said that there are allegations that some blood banks are selling blood at exorbitant prices. A price list should be put up at the blood banks, she said. The Health Minister said that there were allegations that lab technicians were being used in place of nurses in blood collection and storage centers and that this could not have happened. She directed the officials to keep an eye on those who conduct clinical trials without permissions. 

She said all the drug department officials in the state should work honestly and the government would be fully supportive of the officials who act honestly. She reiterated that the Chief Minister was working towards the goal of a corruption-free government. She directed the officials to follow transference in issuing licenses and renewing medical shops. 

The government is taking steps to increase the number of generic medical shops, she informed. When the official took her notice of the setting up of regional testing labs and allocation of vehicles to the drug inspectors, she assured to resolve the issues.