ED seeks information from Punjab on missing buprenorphine

CHANDIGARH: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought details from the Punjab government regarding diversion of 5 crore tablets of buprenorphine, a scheduled drug, by private centres in Punjab.
As the missing tablets dispensed between January 1, 2019, and November 11, 2019, are said to be worth around Rs 200 crore, the directorate is looking into possible money laundering under the Prevention of money laundering Act (PMLA) rules.
Sources said the ED had asked the government a week back to send details of show-cause notice issued under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to the erring centres and their replies.
The health department had on December 2, 2019, detected diversion of about 5 crore tablets of buprenorphine to unauthorized persons outside the system by private de-addiction centres. Subsequently, show-cause notices were issued to about 90 centres -- majority of diversion was spotted in 23 centres while minor gaps were found in 67 centres. Diversion by these centres ranged from 8,26,643 tablets to 48,23,401 tablets.
Confirming the development, Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the government had received a communication from the ED and would share the required details in next few days. “We are compiling the required details and will share it with the directorate soon,” said Sidhu. He added that the government was already probing the matter at its end.
BUPRENORPHINE
Diversion found after collation of data by dept
There are about 100 private de-addiction centres in the state, of which a large number have 7 to 8 times’ more outpatient department patients as compared to government centres, and dispense higher number of buprenorphine indiscriminately . As per a rough estimate, the private centres earn about Rs 1.5 crore per day.
Substance abuse experts have expressed concern over reckless dispensing of buprenorphine by private de-addiction centres in Punjab. They have laid stress on the need to evaluate the treatment outcome for ascertaining abuse of the medicine.
For making treatment accessible at affordable rates, the state had allowed dispensing of takehome dose of buprenorphine and naloxone from its OOAT clinics and had also capped the price of at Rs 7.5 per tablet, which was earlier sold between Rs 30 and Rs 40 by private de-addiction centres.
The diversion of the detoxification medicine came to fore after the health department collated data of buprenorphine procured, dispensed and its stock in-hand submitted by private centres to the food and drug administration (FDA), Punjab, between January 1and November 19.