Punjab seizes medicines worth over 20cr, suspends 520 chemist licenses
Punjab just pulled off a major move against drug misuse: over ₹20 crore worth of medicines have been seized and 520 chemist licenses suspended after nearly 17,000 inspections across the state.
Authorities also fully canceled 22 licenses to keep things tight under existing drug laws.
Punjab secures convictions, prompts pregabalin controls
The crackdown didn't stop there: Punjab filed 54 court cases and landed 35 convictions for violations.
Thanks to the state's efforts, the central government is now tightening control on drugs like pregabalin starting November 12, 2026.
But selling meds online remains a big loophole since it's still unregulated, and Punjab has also taken up the issue of exorbitant medicine prices and variations in the prices of products manufactured by different companies despite containing the same active pharmaceutical ingredient or salt, with no effective steps until the recent intervention and directions of the Supreme Court.
The message from the state? They're serious about keeping communities safer and healthier.