Rise in anti-allergic jab sales leads to searches at med shops in city

Jaipur: Soaring sales of Avil injections, which are used in the treatment of various allergic conditions and can also be misused for sedation, prompted the state’s drug controller to conduct inspection of medicine shops in the city and issue show-cause notices to 17 shop owners on Tuesday. A chemist was also arrested, and the premises of a psychiatrist were inspected during the operation.
Officials said the 17 medicine shops were found selling surprisingly high quantities of Avil injections. They were asked to show their record of sales and purchases.
A chemist was arrested at Malviya Nagar for allegedly storing drugs covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at an unlicensed place. The record of sale and purchase of NDPS drugs were sought from the psychiatrist whose premises were inspected, said officials, because the chemist told the drug controller’s team that some of the NDPS drugs in his stock belonged to the psychiatrist. The drug controller’s office informed Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) of the stock of NDPS drugs and the latter also inspected the psychiatrist’s clinic. “The psychiatrist denied that the narcotic drugs stored at the unlicensed place belonged to him. We have sought a year’s record of the sale and purchase of the drugs from him for investigation,” said Ajay Phatak, the state drug controller (I).
Avil injection of 10 ml is administered in hospital settings and dispensaries. But the inspections at the 17 chemists’ shops at Malviya Nagar, Walled City, Amer and other areas of the city found the sale of Avil injections was soaring high. Some renowned psychiatrists are under the scanner, said sources.
“At least seven chemists were found selling 10,000 to 12,000 Avil injections each annually, which is quite surprising. Sale of such large number of injections could be because it is being misused for sedation, which we are investigating. We have collected a full year’s sales and purchase figures of the drug from both retailers and wholesalers,” added Phatak. CBN is also investigating into the matter.
There are nearly 5,000 medicine shops in Jaipur, and Avil injections are available for about Rs 20 each. Since Avil tablets are of low doses and taken orally, they are not the preferred choice for sedation, said sources.