New Delhi: Manufacturing and dealing in counterfeit drugs could invite a punishment of upto life term and a maximum fine of Rs 10 lakh in future, according to new guidelines being framed by the Union Health Ministry.

The guidelines being formulated as part of amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940,have been finalised and would be sent to the Law Ministry for approval after which they would be presented in the Parliament during the monsoon session, senior Health Ministry officials said.

Earlier, the maximum punishment for an offence related to the death of a person due to spurious drugs was 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.

The minimum punishment for such a crime has also been increased to five years from the current three years, the enhanced punishment also makes it a non-bailable offence, the officials said.

Moves to amend the Act had been initiated way back in 2003 with the matter being referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which sent it back to the Health Ministry with recommendations.

Senior officials gave a presentation of the proposals in front of Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss last evening.

The finalisation of the amendments comes amid reports of an alarming rise in the availability of spurious drugs in the market.

To ascertain the real situation, the government has decided to launch its own study to determine the extent of presence of spurious dugs in the country.
Source : PTI