Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has sounded a warning over rising antimicrobial resistance in the state, saying pharmacists dispensing prescription drugs without valid prescriptions will face strict action.
Mundhe told The Economic Times that antibiotics being given out without prescriptions was a significant concern, and that pharmacists found selling such drugs without valid prescriptions would not be spared.
The FDA has already begun suspending licences of errant pharmacies, he said, and warned that the regulator would "come after you heavily if we see something wrong."
He cautioned citizens against casually taking antibiotics for minor ailments, explaining that while such use might offer temporary relief, it risks building resistance to the drugs over time. Mundhe said the FDA intended to spread awareness on the issue through multiple channels, given the scale of the risk to public health.
Acknowledging that the department faces a shortage of drug inspectors, Mundhe said the FDA would nonetheless build up enough capacity to act on the issue soon.
The remarks came as part of a wider interview in which Mundhe outlined the FDA's expanding enforcement agenda, from cracking down on overpriced medicines to barring hospitals from forcing patients to buy drugs at in-house pharmacies.
He said the regulator was also examining alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as spices and edible oil, as part of its next phase of scrutiny, and that manufacturing units would face tighter compliance checks around packaging, temperature control and testing standards.
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Mundhe also addressed the FDA's recent notices to several well-known restaurants over hygiene non-compliance, saying his mandate went beyond simply executing an assigned role.
"My role is to regulate and ensure that safe food and safe drugs are available," he said, adding that everything produced in Maharashtra must meet standards as per the norms.
He said the department could not inspect every unit given the sheer numbers involved, over 1.2 million licence holders in the food sector alone, but that all stakeholders, from restaurant operators to consumers, needed to remain vigilant, with a toll-free number and online portal available for the public to flag violations.
On handling political pressure over such enforcement actions, Mundhe said he remained firm regardless of who was involved, telling ET he was not worried about interference and would continue ensuring safe food and drug availability without exception.
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