According to the DCA, the violations included selling abortion drugs without prescriptions from Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs), failure to issue sales bills and absence of licensed pharmacists during dispensing
Published Jul 17, 2025 | 5:54 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 17, 2025 | 5:54 PM
Synopsis: In a statewide crackdown on July 16, 2025, Telangana’s Drug Control Administration (DCA) found serious violations in 149 medical shops selling abortion kits illegally. Potent drugs like Mifepristone and Misoprostol were being sold without prescriptions or regulatory clearance. The DCA’s special drive focused on curbing the indiscriminate sale of Schedule H abortifacient drugs, raising significant public health concerns
In a sweeping crackdown across Telangana, the Drug Control Administration (DCA) on 16 July 2025 uncovered serious violations in 149 medical shops involved in the illegal sale of abortion kits, including potent drugs like Mifepristone and Misoprostol.
The inspections, conducted as part of a special statewide drive, targeted pharmacies suspected of selling abortion kits classified as abortifacient drugs without the necessary prescriptions or regulatory compliance.
“During the inspections, special emphasis was laid on checking the indiscriminate sale of Abortion Kits (Abortifacient Drugs) including Mifepristone Tablets, Misoprostol Tablets, etc., classified under Schedule H of the Drugs Rules,” the DCA said in an official statement.
According to the DCA, the violations included selling abortion drugs without prescriptions from Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs), failure to issue sales bills, absence of licensed pharmacists during dispensing, non-maintenance of prescription drug registers, and irregularities in purchase and sales documentation.
Show Cause Notices have been issued to all 149 medical shops found flouting the norms, with departmental action pending under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the rules thereunder.
The DCA warned that unsupervised access to abortion kits poses a major public health risk.
“Abortion Kits contain potent drugs such as Mifepristone and Misoprostol, and their unsupervised use can result in serious and life-threatening complications. The purchase and consumption of these drugs over-the-counter (OTC) from medical shops without a doctor’s prescription and supervision is strictly prohibited and highly unsafe,” the agency stated.
They cautioned that complications from misuse can include excessive uterine bleeding, tubal rupture in ectopic pregnancies, hypovolemic shock, and even death.
Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 2002, and the MTP Rules, 2003, abortion kits are to be used only under the supervision of a qualified gynaecologist and in approved medical facilities.
“These products are classified under Schedule H of the Drugs Rules and are therefore permitted to be sold only by licensed retail pharmacies upon presentation of a valid prescription issued by a Registered Medical Practitioner,” the DCA noted.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance policy, the DCA said:
“The illegal sale of Abortion Kits constitutes a serious offence punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder. The Drugs Control Administration will initiate strict legal action against pharmacies found violating the regulatory provisions regarding the sale of Abortion Kits (Abortifacient Drugs).”
The department urged the public to avoid self-medication and to seek professional medical advice for any abortion-related treatment to prevent avoidable health emergencies.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
