The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed the medical shops in Kalayn Dombivli region of Maharashtra's Thane district to sell medicines prescribed by registered doctors.

An order to this effect was issued by FDA Joint Commissioner (medicines) P B Gunjal (Konkan region) on 23 February. It said that the order was issued after a medical officer of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) complained to the FDA that several pharmacy shops are found selling medicines without prescriptions and also do not maintain records as per COVID-19 norms.

The order said that especially in view of the present pandemic situation all those who come to purchase medicines for cold, cough, and with symptoms of COVID-19 should be sold medicines only on the basis of prescriptions from registered doctors. Such patients should be referred to civic medical centres for coronavirus test and details about the doctors, who have prescribed medicines to them should be provided to the civic authorities. It warned that action would be taken against those who do not follow the instructions, it said.