Yogi Government Intensifies Crackdown on Counterfeit and Adulterated Medicines
The Uttar Pradesh government has strengthened its regulatory mechanism to curb the circulation of counterfeit, adulterated and illegally stocked medicines across the state. The initiative focuses on tightening surveillance across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain, from licensing and procurement to distribution and retail sale.
Under the strengthened monitoring framework, authorities will take strict action against dummy licences, fake billing, illegal stock and irregularities in medicine distribution. Medicines suspected to be counterfeit will be traced through the supply chain, with investigations extending to the manufacturing level wherever necessary.
The government has also directed special surveillance of codeine-based syrups, painkillers and medicines falling under the NDPS category, given their potential for misuse and diversion. In cases where organised criminal activity is detected, enforcement agencies may initiate proceedings under applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in addition to relevant drug-control and narcotics laws.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) will further scrutinise financial and digital records, including bank transactions, billing details and electronic records, to identify suspicious transactions and establish the movement of illicit medicines.
Officials have been directed to ensure coordinated enforcement when counterfeit medicines are detected. A joint FIR will be registered in appropriate cases to facilitate investigation into the entire network involved in the manufacture, supply, storage or distribution of spurious medicines.
The measures underline the state government’s focus on strengthening pharmaceutical governance, improving regulatory compliance and protecting public health. The comprehensive surveillance mechanism is aimed at disrupting illegal medicine networks while ensuring greater accountability across the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Overall, the initiative represents a coordinated enforcement approach combining licensing scrutiny, supply-chain tracking, financial investigation and criminal action to prevent counterfeit and adulterated medicines from reaching consumers in Uttar Pradesh.
