Officials of the Drug Control Administration and the police on Monday conducted awareness programme for medical shop owners on sale of sleeping pills and other sedative drugs to minors.
Central Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) P. Bhaskar Rao said that some drug store owners were selling alprazolam, lorazepam and other drugs without prescription and to minors. Those who were selling drugs violating rules would be booked as per law, the ACP warned.
Machavaram CI B. Gunaram said it had come to the notice of the police that some medical shops were not maintaining stock and sale registers properly, and many drugs were being misused. He appealed to the druggists to maintain records and not to sell sleeping pills to children, even if they produced doctor’s prescription.
Drug Inspector B. Gopala Krishna said that sale of Diazepm, Nitrazepam, Pentazocin and other drugs without valid prescription violated Rule 65 (9-a). Sale of drugs without bill will and without maintaining schedule H1 Register leads to violation, he explained.
“Violators can be booked under NDPS Act. The DCA would cancel licenses too, if the traders resort to illegal sales,” Mr. Gopala Krishna warned.
Patamata Circle Inspector D. Kasi Viswanadh said that illegal sale of bulk quantity of sedatives, sleeping pills and other drugs would attract criminal cases too.
“Police summoned a few youth, who were reportedly addicted to sedatives and gave counselling to them. We also asked their family members to keep a tab on their movements,” Mr. Gunaram said.
