Maharashtra FDA Suspends 1,696 Medical Store Licences In Crackdown On Cough Syrup Sales Without Prescription
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai, March 16: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra has intensified its crackdown on the sale of cough syrups without a doctor’s prescription, leading to strict action against several medical stores across the state.
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Thousands of stores inspected across the state
According to a written reply submitted in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by State Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal, inspections were carried out at 5,001 medical stores between April 2025 and January 2026. The drive focused on preventing the sale of cough syrups without proper medical prescriptions.
During the inspections, 1,696 medical store licences were suspended for violating regulations, while 301 stores had their licences permanently cancelled for serious violations.
Action follows concerns over fake cough syrups
The action follows concerns raised in the Assembly by MLAs Vikram Kale and Hemant Patil regarding the use of fake cough syrups and the need for stricter regulation.
Minister Zirwal said that after reports from Madhya Pradesh about children dying after consuming Coldrif Syrup BN SR 13, the Maharashtra government issued directions in October 2025 prohibiting the sale of cough syrups without a doctor’s prescription.
To ensure compliance with these directives, the FDA launched a special inspection campaign. Under this initiative, 625 medical stores were specifically checked, while the broader enforcement drive covered over 5,000 drug stores statewide.
Case registered in fake medicines supply
The minister also informed the Assembly that in a separate case involving the supply of fake medicines to Nanded Government Hospital, a case has been registered against three individuals at the Wazirabad Police Station.
Zirwal said that drug samples are routinely tested in the state’s three laboratories for the presence of toxic substances such as Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol, which are often linked to contaminated cough syrups.
So far, 265 samples have been tested, while 40 samples are still under examination. The analysis has not detected any traces of these toxic chemicals in the tested samples.
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To speed up the testing process, the state government is also procuring modern laboratory equipment through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal and Maha Tender system.
(Disclaimer: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)