Improperly stored Tetanus Vaccine, Oxytocin Injections seized in Hyderabad
Telangana: Drugs Control Administration, Telangana has seized improperly stored Tetanus Vaccine and Oxytocin Injections in Hyderabad.
On 5th March, Drugs Control Administration, Telangana officials, acting on credible information, raided the premises of a medical distributor named Sri Nandini Pharma in Sultan Bazar, Hyderabad, and found stocks of thermolabile (temperature-sensitive) medicines—Tetanus Vaccine and Oxytocin Injections—stored at room temperature on racks along with other general drugs.
Tetanus Vaccine and Oxytocin Injections are temperature-sensitive medicines that should be stored in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C to maintain their efficacy. Storage at room temperature causes a loss of potency, and the use of such injections may adversely affect patients' health, as they fail to produce the intended therapeutic effect.
DCA officials seized stocks containing two varieties of medicines worth Rs. 10,000 during the raid.
Sri. T. Rajamouli, Assistant Director, Hyderabad and Sri. V. Ajay, Drugs Inspector, Goshamahal are among the officers who carried out the raid. Mithinti Srinivas, Proprietor of Sri Nandini Pharma, was present during the raid.
Further investigation will be carried out, and action will be taken as per the law against all offenders.
Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, has been constantly vigilant and alert to ensure the supply of quality and efficacious drugs to the public in the State. Storing the Tetanus vaccine (Tetanus Toxoid injection) at room temperature instead of under refrigeration can lead to the degradation of the toxoid. Tetanus toxoid is a heat-sensitive protein that can degrade when exposed to higher temperatures, resulting in a decreased ability to induce an immune response, thereby reducing its therapeutic effect.
Storing Oxytocin injection at room temperature instead of under refrigeration can lead to the degradation of the peptide hormone ‘Oxytocin.’ Oxytocin is sensitive to heat and can degrade when exposed to higher temperatures, resulting in a decrease in its potency and effectiveness. This degradation may lead to a loss of uterotonic activity, meaning Oxytocin's ability to stimulate uterine contractions could be compromised, thereby reducing its therapeutic effect in inducing labor or controlling postpartum bleeding.
Stocking Tetanus Vaccine and Oxytocin Injections at room temperature in a medical shop is punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, with imprisonment of up to two years.
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