Chennai:
If you are in Chennai, there is a good chance that the medicine you buy from your local drug store might have expired, even though the label says otherwise.
It may be called the drug scam of Tamil Nadu. The modus operandi is simple: Buy discarded drugs before they are disposed of, change the labels and distribute them again to retail outlets.
The first symptom of this rot was seen a few months ago when a three-year-old Krithika died after taking expired medicine bought from a local pharmacy.
"They said it's just two months after the expiry. My daughter paid a heavy price. I've lost her," said Kalaivani, Krithika's mother.
Expired drugs that could have sold for over a crore rupees have now been confiscated following a crackdown by the police and drug control authorities. A hunt is on for the kingpin.
"They can have expired drugs, it's part of the process but they can't sell it. Manufacturers have to follow the due process to dispose them," said Dr V K Subburaj, Principal Secretary.
There's a severe shortage of drug inspectors, there are just around hundred to monitor forty thousand shops. Officials say there is no need for panic but it may take a long for public to take their medicine with confidence.