Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration is tightening scrutiny of hospital pharmacies that compel patients to purchase medicines only from in-house or affiliated outlets, as part of a broader crackdown on spurious drugs and unlicensed pharmacies across the state.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the department is actively monitoring the drug sector alongside its food safety mandate. "We are also monitoring the drug sector closely, taking action against spurious drugs and unlicensed pharmacies, particularly those in hospitals that force patients to buy exclusive prescriptions," he said.
The practice, common at several private hospitals, restricts patients from sourcing medicines from cheaper, independent pharmacies, effectively locking them into paying premium prices for the same drugs. Mundhe indicated this behaviour now falls squarely within the FDA's enforcement focus, alongside checks on unlicensed pharmacy operations more broadly.
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What Mundhe Has Said On Food Safety
Mundhe's comments on the drug sector came as part of a wider conversation on Maharashtra's food safety regime, where he has pursued an equally firm enforcement approach since taking charge of the FDA. He has invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against Gutka manufacturers, calling the trade an organised nexus of manufacturers, transporters and sellers. He has also ordered restaurants to stop asking customers what type of water they want, mandating that potable water be served free of charge before any paid alternative, and has issued a comprehensive Hotel, Restaurant and Eatery order reiterating 22 existing food regulations on storage and hygiene.
Mundhe has maintained that his approach applies uniformly, regardless of the size or standing of the business involved. "The law says whoever is an FBO, whether small or large, roadside or a 5-star hotel, it is the same," he said, adding that regulators must act "impartially, equitably, and proportionately, without favouring or fearing anybody."
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He has linked this enforcement drive to a larger public health concern, pointing to India's shifting disease burden, where lifestyle diseases now account for the majority of cases compared with communicable diseases decades ago. Mundhe has said unsafe food and poor regulatory compliance, whether in restaurants, dairy or pharmaceuticals, are contributing silently to this shift, and has called for greater consumer awareness around what people eat, buy and consume, including their right to know the ingredients, calories and safety of the products and medicines they purchase.
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