TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The local enforcement agencies are keeping a close watch on coastal pharmacies, after investigations revealed that most of these are garnering profits through illegal sale of narcotics, particularly synthetic drugs.
The illegal practice mushrooms during the tourist season due to demand from domestic and international tourists.
Controlled drugs like amphetamine and ketamine ~ rampant use of which could produce severe behavioral abnormality and prove fatal; morphine and pethidine ~ which are used for the terminally ill patients, are being sold in the tourist-dominated beach belt without prescription.
Superintendent of anti-narcotics cell Karthik Kashyap said recent raids have established nexus between pharmacies and drug peddlers to a certain level. “A detailed investigation into all these cases will reveal extent of the connivance,” he said.
In two recent raids, a Karnataka-based pharmacist Rajendra Patil and a Briton Gary Baird were caught red-handed with amphetamine in their possession. Other accused in the two cases are still on the run. Amphetamine, the new entrant on the Goa drug scene is allegedly being pushed through pharmacies, especially those along the coastal belt.
The scheduled drugs are allowed to be sold under the strict monitoring of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Director Salim Veljee claimed there are only 45 wholesale and retail sellers who are allowed to store and sell the scheduled drugs, only on prescription of a doctor.
“Maximum quantity of four grams is allowed to be stocked in a pharmacy. The retailer cannot keep more than that amount. He also has to provide detailed data of sale with documents including original prescription to the FDA every three months,” Veljee said. Even if a single ampoule is missing, the retailer is liable to face stringent action.
According to a source, high-profile party drugs are in heavy demand even among the local youth. Raj Vaidya of city-based Hindu Pharmacy, when contacted said, “I don’t think amphetamine is available through regular channels and hardly any pharmacy stocks ketamine,” He insisted that NDPS licence is a must to stock drugs in pharmacies.
Sources disclosed that Goa has only one authorized wholesaler who is allowed to stock morphine. “A doctor’s prescription is a must, which has to be produced to the FDA for a permit and only after a written permission, the wholesaler can sell this drug,” said the source.
While pethadine, which like morphine, is a pain killer; ketamine is a pre-anesthetic medication. According to NDPS permission, it is learnt that only 17 pethidine injections can be stored at a pharmacy while there is reportedly no stocking limit for ketamine.
