Hyderabad: Health Minister C Damodar Raja Narsimha on Wednesday directed the officials to take stringent action and also impose PD Act against the manufacturers and sellers of spurious and banned drugs.

The Health Minister also asked the officials to take severe action against companies and individuals who were making misleading advertisements and selling medicine. The Minister on Wednesday reviewed with Drug Control Authority. The DCA Director General Shahnawaz Qasim briefed the minister on the DCA work progress in 2024 and 2025.

The Minister said that 25,939 inspections were conducted in 2024 and action was taken against 4142 institutions that violated the rules. He said that 16,481 inspections were conducted from January to July in 2025 and action was taken against 2,827 institutions that violated the rules. From January 2024 to July 2025, 7,200 medicine samples were tested, out of which 186 were found to be of substandard quality and action was taken against the relevant institutions as per the law. He explained that about 700 cases have been booked.

The Minister instructed the officials to take steps to ensure that the guilty are punished in every case. Strict action should be taken against companies and individuals who are making misleading advertisements and selling medicine.

He suggested strict action against pharma companies, distributors and sellers who are manufacturing spurious and non-standard drugs. He said that medicine was related to people’s lives and there should be no negligence in this matter. He ordered that companies that are repeatedly violating the rules should be permanently closed as per the law.

He also wanted action to be taken against those who are manufacturing and selling medicine while showing it as food items.

The minister said that antibiotic resistance was becoming a major threat and suggested that action should be taken against those who are violating the rules and selling antibiotics. He ordered the DCA DG to take strict action to prevent the sale of intoxicating medicines without a doctor’s prescription.

The Minister has ordered the speeding up of the drug testing lab upgradation work.

He said that more drug inspector posts would be sanctioned and recruited soon, thereby further strengthening the Drug Control Authority. He clarified that the government would be strict in providing quality medicine and quality food to the people.