Notices Sent, FIRs Lodged For Poor Maintenance Of Records Of Abortion Drugs

Pune: Action against chemists in Beed district for not maintaining sale records of abortion pills continued on Wednesday with Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials finding nine more medical stores and a wholesale dealer at fault in Beed and adjoining talukas.

Most of the erring medical stores were either located within a maternity hospital or were catering to nearby hospitals, officials said.

The FDA issued show-cause notices to six medical stores on Tuesday and lodged FIRs against two medical stores and a drug wholesaler in Beed.

"We are going to issue more notices to all nine medical stores and a wholesaler for not maintaining proper records of abortion drugs. Licences of some will be suspended," S S Mohite, assistant commissioner (drugs), Thane, told TOI on Wednesday. Mohite is incharge of the inspection drive in Beed.

Most of the medical stores at fault are located in adjoining talukas of Beed. Two are located in Majalgaon and two in Kej, one each is located in Gevrai and Shirur and three are located in Beed city. The wholesaler who was found not maintaining proper sale records of abortion drugs is also based in Beed, Mohite said.

"They were located on the premises of private hospitals with maternity wards. The show-cause notices will be issued to them under Rule 65 of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940," Mohite said.

Since June 3, FDA officials conducted surprise raids at 20 medical stores and seven wholesalers in Beed and adjoining talukas, including Parli. During inspection, the officials took stock of abortion medicines and injectibles sold, and assessed the sale recorded of these drugs. As many as 12 drugs inspectors conducted the checks.

The sale records of abortion drugs in all its forms and types were inspected during the drive. "Records of abortion drugs like misoprostol, MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) pill, stytolog and vecredil, among others, were checked during the inspection drive," Mohite said

Misoprostol is a combination of two types of abortion-inducing drugs - mifeproston and misoprostol. "It is used as first- and second-trimester abortion-inducing drugs. Sytolog is another combination of mifeproston and misoprostol.

Vecredil is a second-trimester abortion-inducing drug. All these drugs are marketed by companies under different brand names," said senior gynaecologist Charuchandra Joshi, former president of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society, Pune branch.

Pune police told to probe foeticide cases carefully

The Pune police on Monday issued instructions to all 32 stations in the city to conduct investigations in female foeticide if any complaints are received.

Speaking to TOI, additional commissioner of police (crime) Anant Shinde on Tuesday said commissioner Meeran Chadha Borwankar has issued instructions that instant action should be taken and evidence should be collected properly if any complaints are received in such cases.

When asked about the number of such cases reported, Shinde said the police have cases of unwed mothers abandoning their children after birth reported in the city.