Kerala DCA to crack the whip on erring medical shops to make the state completely antibiotic literate in 2023

As part of making Kerala a ‘completely antibiotic literate state’, the state health department has strengthened its action to curb OTC sale of antibiotics and directed the drug control administration to take strong action against pharmacies violating rules.

The health department has also directed the departments of animal husbandry, fisheries and agriculture, where indiscriminate use of antibiotics is found for growth promotion, to reduce the use of antibiotics.

On the direction of the health secretary, the drug control department has conducted a state wide inspection in medical shops recently to check whether the shops are selling antibiotics on doctors’ prescription or not. According to Jayan Menon, the drug controller of Kerala, the inspectors have inspected 1400 medical shops in 14 districts. He said cases have been taken against a few number of pharmacies where inspectors have found cases of sale of the drugs without prescription. Departmental action will be taken against such violators as per Rule 65 of the D&C Rules. The inspection drive will continue in the coming days also.