Drugs Control Department

Shri.V.S.Sivakumar Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Devaswom	Room No: 505 5th Floor Secretariat Annexe Thiruvananthapuram- 1 Phone : 0471-2327574 Mob : 9496266600 Fax : 0471-2332133 E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Drug Control Department	Office of the Drugs Controller Drugs Control Department Red Cross Road Thiruvananthapuram Pin- 695 035 Tel: 0471- 2471896/ 2473256 Fax: 0471-2473256 E-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.dc.kerala.gov.in
Shri. P. Hariprasad Drugs Controller	Tel: 0471- 2471896/ 2473256 Mob: 9847278251 Fax: 0471-2473256 E-mail : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.dc.kerala.gov.in
WEBSITE	www.dc.kerala.gov.in

About the Department

The department is an agency of the state Government to tackle the menace of spurious and adulterated drugs by regulating Manufacturing, Sales and Distribution of drugs.

The Drugs Control Department of the State of Kerala was formed in the year 1961 and it enforces the above laws pertaining to drugs and cosmetics. If you have any problem with the quality or price of drugs, you can make complaint to all of our Zonal offices or to the Headquarters.

VISION: HEALTH FOR ALL WHERE USE OF DRUGS ARE MINIMAL
Mission: to make available Drugs and Cosmetics of Standard Quality at controlled prices.

The quality of drugs is beyond the understanding of common man. It’s the responsibility of the Department to ensure the availability of quality drugs to the public and the market is free from counterfeit, spurious and substandard drugs and no drugs are sold at a price higher than the retail price marked on the container. There are so many laws regulating the drugs and cosmetics whereby the safety of the consumer is protected:

1   The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules 1945
2   The Drugs Prices Control Order, 1995 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955
3   The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954 and Rules, 1955
4   The Kerala Drugs and other Store Unlawful Possession Act, 1971
5   The Kerala Poison Rules, 1996 issued under the Poison Act, 1919.

WINGS OF THE DEPARTMENT
The department has 2 wings
1. The Enforcement Wing
The enforcement wing for modern drugs:
(i) Regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs, cosmetics & Homoeopathic drugs.
(ii) Detecting spurious, adulterated misbranded and substandard drugs & cosmetics and preventing its distribution.
(iii) Detecting & prohibiting manufacturing and sale of banned drugs.
(iv) Preventing sale of drugs at excess price
(v) Detecting & Prohibiting false and misleading advertisement of drugs.
(vi) Checking the pilferage of drugs from Government Hospitals and Other Stores.
(vii) Controlling the sale and possession of certain poisons
(viii) Suspending/Cancelling the licences issued to manufacturing/ sale premises violating the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules made there under.
(ix) Prosecuting the persons/firms/companies for breaching the provisions of –

Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules 1945
The Drugs Price Control Order 1995
Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act 1954 & Rules 1955
The Kerala Drugs & Other Stores Act (Unlawful Possession Act 1971)
The Kerala Poison Rules 1996

(x) Controlling the use of narcotic drugs in institutions like hospitals by issuing the essentiality certificate for such institutions for procurement of such drugs.
(xi) Drawing sample of drugs, cosmetics and homoeopathic medicines for test/analysis and action including the prosecution against the offenders.
(xii) Regulating the blood bank by way of licensing, inspection & sampling to ensure safe blood transfusion, approving the blood storage centers for the storage of blood.
(xiii) Preventing the misuse of habit forming drugs by surprise inspections and verification of records and taking action against the offenders.
(xiv) Prosecuting quacks under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act and Rules there under.
(xv) Conducting enquiries against the complaints from public and taking action against the offenders.
(xvi) Preventing the misuse of certain poisons like methyl alcohol.
(xvii) Preventing the distribution of banned drugs and irrational combinations of drugs.
(xviii) Preventing the distribution of drugs with same /similar brand names.
(xix) Ensuring the proper storage of drugs like insulin, vaccines, etc to ensure potency.
(xx) Taking steps in cases of reported adverse reactions after administering drugs.
(xxi) Preventing the illicit traffic of drugs.
(xxii) Preventing the sale of bulk drugs and formulations exceeding the ceiling price
fixed by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority.
(xxiii) Ensuring the availability of drugs in the management of Pain & Palliative Cares.
(xxiv) Approval of Laboratories for testing of drugs.
B. The enforcement wing for Ayurvedic drugs is regulating the manufacture of Ayurvedic drugs

2. The Testing Wing –
The testing wing is functioning at the Drugs Testing Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram. The testing wing is responsible for testing/analysis of modern drugs, cosmetics, homeopathic drugs and ayurvedic drugs.
This is done by.
(i) Testing and Reporting the results of tests and analysis in the prescribed form and forwarding it to the concerned drugs inspectors without delay.
(ii) Testing the samples produced by the public on payment of fees and giving the results.
The analytical report of allopathic drugs are sent to the Drugs Inspector in Form 13 of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945.

Organization chart (PDF)

Achievements

Achievements of the department is merited on the increasing number of approved institutions and prosecution carried out on the illicit drug makers/ drug dealers.

List of Approved institutions