Authorities have found no evidence of pharmacists in Goa feeding
prescription drugs, especially Ketamine, illegally to the drug peddlers.
However, such drugs are said to be smuggled from outside the state.
Sources said that psychotropic drugs such as Ketamine, whose sale is
strictly monitored by the authorities after it was covered under the
Schedule X of the Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1945, is illegally channelled
into the state from the Northeastern parts of the country along with
banned psychotropic drugs such as Amphetamine, LSD, MDMA and so on.
“From Northeastern pharmaceutical companies, the psychotropic drugs are
somehow illegally pushed into the market and later channelled into
other parts of the country from the state of Uttar Pradesh,” said
sources.
In 2012, the Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) of the Goa police had seized a
total of around 14 grams of Ketamine during the raids conducted. In
2013, the seized quantity of Ketamine was around 55.1 grams. However,
the figure was nil in the last year. During these years, the ANC had
also seized a sizeable amount of banned psychotropic drugs among which
Amphetamine was the highest at around 5.1 kg, in 2013.
According to information, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA),
which is the licensing and enforcement agency, conducts frequent checks
of pharmacies and wholesale dealers to keep a check, especially on the
sale of psychotropic drug Ketamine and other potential prescription
drugs that can be misused. There are over 500 pharmacies in Goa and
owing to the strict enforcement, only 50 pharmacies keep stock of
Ketamine, which also requires a separate licence. There are around 350
wholesalers of which four deal in Ketamine drug.
“The retailer has to maintain a separate log book, the doctor has to
issue a prescription pertaining to Ketamine drug in duplicate of which
one copy remains with the patient whereas the other remains with the
retailer. Hospitals which require the drug have made the necessary
arrangements in their premises itself. We conduct routine inspection and
the sale of drug (Ketamine) is also cross-verified with the doctors,”
said FDA director Salim Veljee.
“As of now, there are no such cases wherein Ketamine is sold without
prescription. If there is a comparatively high sale of any prescription
drug, then the matter is investigated. However, there have been no such
cases in the state,” he said.
Superintendent of Police, ANC, Karthik Kashyap also confirmed that
pharmacists are not indulging in illegal sale of prescription drugs,
especially Ketamine. “Based on the source of information, we had laid a
trap by sending a decoy customer to purchase psychotropic drugs.
However, there are no such incidents wherein the drug has been sold
without a prescription,” said Kashyap.
Incidentally, a couple of years back, the FDA had cancelled the licence
of two pharmacies after its owner was found involved in the illegal
sale of Ketamine and other banned psychotropic drugs. The incident came
to light after the ANC arrested the owner along with his employee for
their alleged involvement in the crime. The Enforcement Directorate too
registered a money laundering case against the owner in this connection.
According to information, since the last two years, the FDA conducted
around 700 inspections of the retailers and wholesalers. In this
connection, 157 show cause notices were issued and after receiving their
replies and explanations, licences of 30 retailers were suspended which
ranged from a period of one day to five days, while the rest were
issued warnings.
While there is strict enforcement, the authorities do not have in-hand
data which could shed light on the amount of sale of psychotropic drugs,
especially that of Ketamine, in the state. “30 retailers whose licences
were suspended were found violating the norms including some of them
selling drugs without a doctor’s prescription. However, there is no such
violation pertaining to the sale of Ketamine,” said Veljee.