Thiruvananthapuram: The Drugs Control Department in Kerala has seized antibiotics worth around Rs 2.33 lakh during Operation Vetbiotic, a drive to check the uncontrolled use of veterinary antibiotics across the state.
“The Health Department is taking stern measures to prevent excessive consumption of antibiotics. There has been a significant decrease in the sales of antibiotics for people after we initiated strict action against medical shops selling these medicines without a doctor’s prescription. However, we found that over-the-counter sale of veterinary antibiotics was rampant,” said Health Minister Veena George.
Subsequently, the Drugs Control Department launched Operation Vetbiotic to prevent sales of antibiotics for animals without a veterinary doctor’s prescription.
The Minister said that antibiotic residue in pets and other domestic animals could find their way into humans through milk and meat. “These veterinary antibiotics could be harmful to people,” she added.
The drive was conducted over the last two days after the authorities noticed that Schedule H and H1 veterinary antibiotic drugs were being sold without any restrictions to farms and dealers of animal feed. Enforcement officials of the Drugs Control Department raided 73 pet shops and establishments selling veterinary medicines across the state as part of the operation.
During the inspection, the authorities also seized unauthorised growth-enhancement drugs for poultry and other animals. Legal action has been initiated against two establishments that stored and sold veterinary medicines without a drugs licence, and stocks worth Rs 1,28,000 were seized, said the authorities.
Two other medical shops were booked for stocking and selling animal feed supplements with antibiotic content which were manufactured without licence. Such supplements with antibiotics worth Rs 1,04,728 were also confiscated by officials.
Meanwhile, the authorities collected samples of antibiotics, other veterinary medicines and animal feed supplements from all shops for quality checking and sent them to the Drugs Testing Laboratories in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.
