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The Karnataka State Registered Pharmacists Association (KSRPA) has urged the state government to constitute a high-level special enforcement team headed by senior IPS officers to launch a coordinated and stringent crackdown on fake medical practitioners, quacks, and the illegal sale and distribution of medicines across the 31 districts in the state.
Such activities pose a serious threat to public health and patient safety and must be dealt with through swift enforcement, strict accountability, and zero tolerance under the law, said Ashokswamy Heroor, president, KSRPA in his communication note.
Drawing the attention of the government, Heroor said that the widespread menace of fake medical practitioners or quacks across the 31 districts of Karnataka is rampant and poses a severe threat to public health and reduces life expectancy.
Highlighting the key issues and ground realities, he said that the misuse of medications and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are serious public health concerns that demand immediate regulatory intervention, strict enforcement, and greater public awareness.
Uncertified practitioners indiscriminately prescribe controlled allopathic medicines—including steroids, high-end antibiotics, and heavy painkillers—for minor ailments. When patients fail to recover and approach qualified doctors, their bodies have already developed drug resistance. Consequently, standard treatments fail, leading to critical complications and mortality, he noted.
There is gross underreporting and administrative inaction. While estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of uncertified practitioners operate across the state, official Health Department figures acknowledge only a fraction. In Koppal district's undivided Gangavathi taluk alone, I obtained an official list of nearly 200 quacks from the THO and filed a PIL before the High Court (W.P. No. 138/2012). Despite an initial FIR, local police later filed a 'B' Report under political interference, said Heroor.
Further, we see lack of protection and enforcement power: Despite High Court orders granting me police protection due to death threats from quacks, execution was delayed for months. Existing regulatory frameworks (KPME/KPMA) and officers (THO, DHO, AYUSH Officers, or Deputy Commissioners) lack adequate enforcement authority, criminal investigation powers, and independent summons mechanism to eradicate this syndicate, he said.
Based on this, our request is formation of a high-level special enforcement team. There is need to constitute a dedicated, high-powered task force comprising a Health Commissioner (IPS), the Drugs Controller, and Senior IPS Officers equipped with full criminal enforcement and search/seizure powers to eliminate fake medical practices state-wide.
There is need for grassroots intelligence gathering. Here direct Anganwadi workers and local health staff can be deployed to confidentially document and report uncertified practitioners operating in rural and urban areas.
Finally, the action against illegal drug sales. The government should initiate strict criminal prosecution against pharmacies and individuals dispensing Schedule 'H' prescription medicines based on slips issued by unqualified practitioners. Until structural and enforcement-led action is taken, public health infrastructure additions will remain ineffective against preventable harm caused by uncertified practitioners, said Heroor.
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