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An action taken report (ATR) released by the office of the director general of the Drug Control Administration (DCA) in Telangana states that the year 2025 witnessed intensified regulatory vigilance, enforcement actions, and inter-departmental coordination to address emerging challenges and mitigate public health risks.
According to the ATR, the DCA remains steadfast in its commitment to proactive surveillance and effective enforcement to detect and prevent offences relating to medicines across the state. During 2025, the DCA conducted a total of 244 seizures for violations of various Acts and detected 84 sub-standard drugs circulating in the market.
Building on this momentum, the previous year saw the dismantling of several organized interstate counterfeit networks. On March 18, 2025, officials conducted simultaneous raids across multiple dealers in Hyderabad which led to the seizure of spurious ‘Montek-LC’ tablets. These counterfeit antihistamines were falsely labelled as products of a reputed pharmaceutical company, posing a grave risk to patients suffering from respiratory ailments who unknowingly purchased the fraudulent stocks.
The enforcement drive continued into the summer of 2025, specifically targeting life-saving cardiac medications. On June 19, a raid in the Inderbagh-Koti area of Hyderabad uncovered counterfeit versions of ‘Rosuvas F’ tablets used for managing cholesterol. These medicines were being sold through illicit distribution channels, further proving the existence of sophisticated criminal networks that the DCA successfully disrupted during the previous year.
In July 2025, the administration shifted its focus to neurology and epilepsy drugs in Secunderabad and Karimnagar. Officials detected spurious ‘Levipil 500’ tablets, which are critical for patients who rely on the drug to control seizure disorders. By seizing these stocks from multiple distributors throughout the previous year, the DCA prevented potentially fatal consequences for vulnerable patients relying on consistent medication quality.
Setting a major legal precedent in 2025, director general Shahnawas Quasim oversaw the first-ever specific arrests of four dealers for spurious drug offenses in the history of DCA Telangana. This move was designed to instil a strong deterrent effect across the pharmaceutical supply chain. The report highlights that these arrests were a direct result of the intensified legal scrutiny applied to those endangering public lives for profit.
The DCA concluded the previous year by reinforcing its role as a watchdog for the pharmaceutical industry. By protecting the integrity of the supply chain through these 2025 seizures, valued at over Rs. 1.39 crore, the department ensured that the commitment to safe medicine was more than just a mandate. The administration remains dedicated to maintaining this level of vigilance to ensure that only verified, high-quality drugs reach the citizens of Telangana.
Finally, the department noted that the success of 2025 was largely due to the use of advanced technical surveillance and interstate coordination. By tracking the origins of counterfeit batches back to manufacturing hubs outside the state, the DCA has created a blueprint for future enforcement. The previous year's efforts have set a new benchmark for drug safety in the region.
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