The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a sweeping crackdown on the illegal trade of counterfeit and adulterated medicines across the state, introducing stringent oversight of drug licences, supply chains, and billing practices. The new framework, formalised through a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA), marks one of the most comprehensive regulatory interventions in the state's pharmaceutical oversight history.

Key Provisions of the New SOP

The FSDA has defined clear responsibilities for Drug Inspectors and Licensing Authorities under the new system. Special surveillance will be maintained on codeine syrups, painkillers, high-value medicines, and substances falling under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) category. In cases involving suspected medicines, investigators will backtrack not only the entire purchase and sale chain but also bank transactions and digital records.

Notably, enforcement action in serious cases will not be limited to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act — FIRs will also be registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the NDPS Act, significantly raising the legal stakes for offenders.

Tackling Dummy Licences and Front Operations

A central focus of the crackdown is the misuse of drug sale licences through dummy individuals. Before issuing new wholesale drug licences, authorities will conduct thorough background verification of both the applicant and the firm. Individuals previously involved in the illegal drug trade will be barred from obtaining fresh licences in the names of spouses, siblings, parents, other close relatives, or proxy persons.

Serious violators face permanent debarment from obtaining licences. Inspections will also verify whether an establishment is being operated by the actual licence holder or by a third party conducting business under the licence holder's name — a practice that has reportedly enabled large-scale diversion of medicines.

Action Against Relabelling and Government Supply Diversion

The SOP specifically targets the relabelling and resale of medicines originally supplied under government programmes, ESI, defence supply, or as physician samples, as well as the sale of expired medicines. If such practices are confirmed, the concerned stock will be taken into custody and an FIR will be registered immediately.

'If counterfeit or spurious medicines are confirmed or serious irregularities are detected, the sale and distribution of the concerned medicines will be stopped immediately,' according to an official press statement.

Directive to Drug Inspectors

The FSDA has directed all Drug Inspectors to strictly comply with every provision of the SOP and to avoid unnecessary delays in investigations, ensuring that evidence is preserved and effective legal action can be taken against those involved in the trade of counterfeit, substandard, adulterated, and illegal medicines. The directive underscores the state government's intent to treat pharmaceutical fraud as a serious criminal offence rather than a regulatory lapse.

With fake and adulterated medicines posing a direct threat to patient safety, the Yogi Adityanath government's multi-pronged approach — combining licence reform, financial tracking, and enhanced criminal liability — signals a structural shift in how Uttar Pradesh intends to police its pharmaceutical supply chain going forward.