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The Karnataka drugs control department is all set to increase surveillance and take action against pharmacy outlets and the pharma manufacturers engaged in wrong disposal practices of date expired/discarded drugs.
According to Bhagoji T Khanapure, additional drugs controller, Karnataka drugs control department, the current practice is that chemists and druggists are returning the date expired/discarded drugs to the wholesalers who in turn are returning the same to the respective manufacturers through C&F (clearing & forwarding) agents.
While granting and renewing of sales licenses of the chemists and druggists, the drugs control department is obtaining an undertaking from the applicant or licensee for the disposal of discarded/date expired drugs as per the Bio-medical Waste Management and Handling Rules, 1998, he said.
Similarly, all drug manufacturers across Karnataka are directed to submit a ‘manufacturers extended responsibility’ undertaking regarding the disposal of date expired/discarded medicines, pointed out Khanapure at a seminar on ‘Innovative methods of management of discarded medicines’ organised by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSCPB).
“While we are already engaged in keeping tabs of date expired/discarded medicines since 2010, now with the KSCPB and Satva Health Solutions we would further strengthen our attention on the same,” he added.
The department is issuing show cause notices to the chemists and druggists for the violation of handling date expired drugs. We are also creating an awareness regarding the disposal of date expired/discarded drugs during continuous education programmes for the chemists and druggists since 2010, said additional drugs controller Khanapure.
There is need to set up incinerators and common facility centre, avoid water body contamination to prevent toxic effect. All not-of-standard quality drugs, date expired and damaged drugs including veterinary drugs, need to be disposed of in the right way, pointed out Khanapure.
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