Telangana DCA issues notices to 41 online pharmacy-linked shops
Synopsis
Telangana's Drug Control Administration inspected 166 online pharmacy-linked shops in a single day and slapped show-cause notices on 41 of them — flagging everything from missing prescription registers to medicines being sold without a pharmacist on-site. The sweep puts digital pharmacy platforms and their physical partners on notice that state regulators are watching.
Key Takeaways
The Telangana Drug Control Administration (DCA) conducted a special enforcement drive on 6 June 2025 targeting online pharmacy-linked medical shops.
A total of 166 shops were inspected — 159 linked to online pharmacy operators and 7 associated with B2B platforms like IndiaMART .
Show-cause notices were issued to 41 shops for multiple violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 .
Violations included dispensing prescription drugs without valid prescriptions and selling medicines without a Registered Pharmacist present.
DCA Director General Avinash Mohanty warned that further action under the Act will follow for non-compliant outlets.
Citizens can report drug-related complaints on the DCA toll-free number 1800-599-6969 , available 10:30 am – 5:00 pm on working days.
The Drug Control Administration (DCA) of Telangana has issued show-cause notices to 41 medical shops linked to online pharmacies across the state, following a special enforcement drive conducted on 6 June 2025. The crackdown, targeting compliance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, is among the largest single-day pharmacy inspections carried out in the state in recent times.
Scale of the Enforcement Drive
A total of 166 medical shops were inspected during the drive. Of these, 159 were licensed premises of online pharmacy operators or their networked partner pharmacies, while 7 were associated with online business-to-business platforms such as IndiaMART. The sweep covered outlets across the state in a single coordinated operation.
Key Violations Detected
Inspecting officers flagged a range of statutory breaches during the drive. These included non-maintenance and failure to produce sales bills of medicines, failure to maintain prescription drug registers and Schedule H1 drug registers, and failure to produce purchase invoices. More critically, several shops were found dispensing prescription medicines without valid prescriptions issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner, and selling medicines without the supervision of a Registered Pharmacist. Improper maintenance of sales and purchase records was also noted across multiple outlets.
What the DCA Said
DCA Director General Avinash Mohanty confirmed that show-cause notices have been served to the 41 non-compliant shops, and that further action will be initiated under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The DCA reiterated that strict compliance with statutory requirements is mandatory for all medical shops, including those operating in association with online platforms. 'Any deviation from the prescribed norms will attract stringent action,' the directorate stated.
How the Public Can Report Violations
The DCA has urged citizens to report complaints regarding illegal activities related to medicines — including suspected manufacturing of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in residential, commercial, or industrial areas — through its toll-free helpline 1800-599-6969, operational from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on all working days.
This comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny of online pharmacy platforms nationally, with authorities raising concerns about the ease with which prescription drugs can be ordered without verified medical oversight. The Telangana action signals that state drug regulators are prepared to hold physical partner pharmacies accountable for the compliance gaps of the digital platforms they serve.
Point of View
But compliance liability still rests with the brick-and-mortar pharmacist who dispenses the drug. When that pharmacist cuts corners — skipping prescription checks or operating without a registered pharmacist on-site — the platform often escapes direct regulatory action while the partner shop bears the notice. Until regulators develop a framework that holds platforms and their physical networks jointly accountable, enforcement drives like this one risk being episodic rather than systemic. The scale of violations found across 41 of 166 inspected shops — a non-compliance rate of nearly 25% — suggests this is not isolated negligence but a pattern that warrants structural intervention.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Telangana's Drug Control Administration issue notices to 41 pharmacy shops?
The DCA issued show-cause notices to 41 medical shops after a special enforcement drive on 6 June 2025 found multiple violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Breaches included dispensing prescription medicines without valid prescriptions, operating without a Registered Pharmacist, and failing to maintain mandatory drug registers.
How many shops were inspected during the Telangana online pharmacy drive?
A total of 166 medical shops were inspected — 159 linked to online pharmacy operators or their partner pharmacies, and 7 associated with online B2B platforms such as IndiaMART.
What violations were found in the online pharmacy-linked shops?
Inspectors found non-maintenance of sales bills, missing prescription drug and Schedule H1 drug registers, absence of purchase invoices, dispensing of prescription drugs without valid prescriptions, sale of medicines without pharmacist supervision, and improper record-keeping.
What action will be taken against the shops that received show-cause notices?
Further action will be initiated under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, according to DCA Director General Avinash Mohanty. The directorate has warned that any deviation from statutory norms will attract stringent penalties.
How can Telangana residents report illegal medicine-related activities?
Citizens can call the DCA's toll-free helpline 1800-599-6969, available from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm on all working days, to report complaints about illegal medicine sales or suspected drug manufacturing, including narcotic and psychotropic substances.
