Farooq Rather
Anantnag, April 11 :
Authorities in Bijbehara shut down four medical establishments, including the prominent Abdullah Medical Store, after it was caught dispensing expired injectable drugs to a patient in violation of medical and legal norms.
Acting swiftly on a complaint, a joint team of Drug Control Officers from Anantnag and Bijbehara Police raided Abdullah Medical Store, located opposite Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Bijbehara. The raid led to the discovery of expired medicine being given to a patient, along with other serious breaches such as failure to comply with prescription protocols and misuse of restricted drugs.
CCTV footage and store records confirmed violations of licence conditions, prompting authorities to immediately suspend the shop’s operations. Over a dozen drug samples were collected on-site for further testing and analysis to determine their quality and authenticity.
In a wider crackdown, the inspection team visited more than 15 nearby medical outlets, including the drug dispensing units within SDH Bijbehara. Three additional stores—Shafeeq Medical Store, Javeed Medical Store, and Zeerak Medical Store—were also sealed for not maintaining computerized inventory and sales records, a mandatory requirement under the law.
Officials have sought further documentation related to the sale of habit-forming drugs, indicating that more action could follow under relevant drug control laws.
The Medical Superintendent of SDH Bijbehara was also urged to ensure cleaner, more regulated practices in hospital dispensaries and to guide staff toward writing legible, compliant prescriptions in the interest of patient safety. (CNS)