Four Hyderabad pharmacies cited for missing records on habit‑forming drugs

Four Hyderabad pharmacies were issued show‑cause notices after joint inspections by the EAGLE Force and TG SAFE found missing or incomplete records for habit‑forming medicines. Inspectors acted on tips from central intelligence and visited pharmacies in Masab Tank, Mallepally and Tolichowki. At Al‑Hamra Medical & General Store in Masab Tank, officials noted that the Schedule H register was not kept and sale bills for drugs such as Tapentadol and Alprazolam were absent or could not be shown. At MM Medical and General Store, operating as MED24 Pharmacy and General Store in Mallepally, the team found gaps in the required registers and could not produce sale bills for Pregalyv 75. The Schedule H1 register and its sale‑bill book were also missing. A surprise check at First Step Drug Mart in Tolichowki, prompted by reports of indiscriminate sales, revealed several habit‑forming medicines on the shelves while the pharmacist was away. The pharmacy failed to produce the Schedule H1 register and showed inconsistencies in purchase‑sale records. Hayat Pharmacy, also in Tolichowki, did not produce the Schedule H1 records or the prescription register for habit‑forming drugs, and its sale‑bill documentation was incomplete. All four establishments have now received show‑cause notices, and further action will be taken under the Drugs Control Administration’s rules. ## Context Schedule H and H1 list medicines that can cause dependence and therefore require strict documentation of purchase, storage and sale. Failure to maintain registers or issue proper sale bills is a violation that can lead to penalties, including closure, to curb misuse of such drugs.