Sri Vijaya Puram, June 22: An awareness meeting in connection with observance of the upcoming “International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking” on 26th June was held on 18th June, 2026 in the conference hall of Directorate of Health Services under the chairmanship of Dr. Sidda Raju, CMO (NFSG), Director of Health Services/ State Drug Controller with the member of Andaman and Nicobar Chemists and Druggists Association and other local Retail/Wholesale Pharmacy owner regarding measures to prevent and reduce drug abuse to make our UT drug-free.
The Chairperson discussed specially the importance of conducting surprise inspections of pharmacies by Drug Inspectors in South, North & Middle Andaman to ensure compliance with drug regulations and deter the unauthorized sale of drugs, including anti-TB medications and antibiotics without valid prescriptions. He emphasized that medicines should not be sold above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), as overcharging places an undue financial burden on patients and constitutes a violation of regulatory provisions. He also directed that Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) drugs should be maintained separately and clearly identified to minimize the risk of dispensing errors and ensure patient safety. Further, he stressed that medicines such as Aspirin and Disprin, which may pose health risks if used inappropriately, should not be dispensed without proper medical advice or prescription. Furthermore, he highlighted that the sale of MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) pills in private shops without proper medical supervision poses a significant risk to the health of mothers.
Dr. Ganesh Samadder, Deputy Director (Medical), expressed his concerns on the results of surprise inspections conducted by Drug Inspectors, which included sale of drugs by unauthorized person, improper management of records of drugs like Schedule H & H1 drugs register with prescription copies, sale of sedative drugs including cough-syrup, Alprazolam, Nitrazepam, Clonazepam, Diazepam etc., and about repeated dispensing of medications based on a single prescription.
Shri Ashok Biswas, Nodal Officer (Prohibition), Directorate of Social Welfare, stated that if any suspicious activity or signs of substance abuse among young children and adolescents are noticed, the information should be promptly shared with the Social Welfare Department at phone number 9933283106 for appropriate intervention and support.
Shri Manoj Lall, Sub Inspector (CID) Anti-Narcotics and Shri. Vivek Mishra, President of A&N Chemists and Druggist Association also spoke on the occasion.
The general public have been requested, to pass the information to the Health Department at phone number 9434266561, if any drug abuse is noticed in and around the retail pharmacy stores.