Chandigarh: The murder of anti-drug campaigner Parvinder Singh Jhota has renewed the spotlight on the easy availability of habit-forming pharmaceutical drugs in Punjab, prompting the state govt to intensify inspections of chemist shops and crack down on illegal sales.Jhota had confronted chemists over the alleged illegal sale of addictive and banned pills to youngsters. His killing has sharpened concerns over enforcement of regulations governing habit-forming medicines, including pregabalin-containing capsules and tablets reportedly misused for intoxication.Punjab has around 16,000 retail and 8,000 wholesale chemist shops. Health department sources said the number of medical stores had grown over the years, particularly in rural areas, with some small villages reportedly having 10-15 shops.Health minister Dr Balbir Singh has directed drugs control officers of the food and drugs administration to intensify inspections and take strict action against violators of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs Rules, 1945. He acknowledged that some chemists continued to indulge in malpractice despite regulatory checks.Between April 1, 2025, and Sept 30, 2026, the drugs wing conducted 16,788 inspections, including joint inspections of chemist shops and unlicensed premises. Medicines worth Rs 20.6 crore were seized from 214 licensed and unlicensed firms for violations of the law.The licences of 520 chemists were suspended and those of 22 cancelled. The department also initiated 54 court cases against alleged offenders. In 35 cases, the accused were convicted and fined, while 650 cases are currently under trial in district courts across Punjab.G S Chawla, general secretary of the Punjab Chemists’ Association, said the association supported action against chemists violating the law but cautioned against penalising those following the rules. “While a few unscrupulous chemists indulge in wrongdoing, the majority follow the rules and should not be subjected to unnecessary inconvenience during the inspection drive,” he said.Pregabalin restrictions from Nov 12The govt has also flagged the misuse of pregabalin, a drug used to treat neuropathic pain and certain other conditions, whose capsules and tablets are reportedly being used by youngsters for intoxication.According to Balbir Singh, pregabalin was not covered under any schedule of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act or the Drugs Rules before the recent regulatory change. After Punjab govt took up the issue with the Centre through multiple communications, the Union govt included pregabalin under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules through a notification dated May 13, 2026. The provision is scheduled to come into effect on Nov 12, 2026.Online sales a challengePunjab govt has also flagged the absence of rules regulating online medicine sales through e-pharmacies as a major hurdle in curbing the misuse of habit-forming drugs. The state has taken up the issue with the Union health minister, but the Centre has yet to frame rules governing online medicine sales, according to the govt. It has expressed concern that medicines liable to be misused for intoxication remain available on online platforms, potentially undermining enforcement efforts.Punjab has restricted the stocking for sale of eight types of drug formulations in the state. However, the govt maintains that the lack of regulation of online sales continues to hamper efforts to curb the misuse of habit-forming medicines.
