The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the drug sale and distribution licence of Cipla Pharma & Life Sciences Ltd’s Pune godown on October 1, citing misbranding of the Schedule‑H drug Reactin Plus and a litany of storage infractions.
Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said the action followed a Bombay High Court decision that demanded the FDA crack down on pharmacies that mislabel over‑the‑counter medicines, insisting that “maintaining digital records does not excuse the absence of physical safety and hygiene”.
Investigators found the godown’s floor littered with dust‑laden medicine boxes, an absent inspection book, and expired drugs stored in the same area as new stock, violating mandatory segregation rules.
Cipla’s chief compliance officer, Ramesh Gupta, told reporters the firm will file a remediation plan by mid‑November, acknowledging that the company’s reliance on digital logs was insufficient to satisfy statutory requirements.
A local pharmacist, Shreya Patil, warned that consumers risked ineffective or dangerous drugs whenever warehouses fail to meet hygiene standards, echoing concerns that similar lapses have plagued other facilities in the region.