Telangana Cracks Down on Illegal Sale of Abortion Kits; 165 Medical Shop Licences Suspended

In a major crackdown against the illegal sale of abortion kits, the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) of Telangana conducted raids at 809 medical shops across the state between August 22 and September 15. Officials found violations in 234 shops, leading to the suspension of 165 licences and the cancellation of seven.

The raids were aimed at curbing the black-market sale of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits containing Mifepristone and Misoprostol. These drugs, which are listed under Schedule H of the Drugs Rules, cannot be sold over the counter and should only be dispensed with a doctor’s prescription. However, several shops were caught violating these regulations.

According to the authorities, the violations included selling drugs without valid prescriptions, maintaining incomplete or no sales records, distributing medicines in the absence of a licensed pharmacist, and operating without proper documentation. Officials also identified quacks illegally supplying abortion kits in some areas.

The DCA reiterated that, under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 2002, abortion kits should only be used under the supervision of a qualified gynaecologist. Self-medication or unsupervised usage of these drugs can result in severe health risks, including excessive uterine bleeding, untreated ectopic pregnancy, organ rupture, internal bleeding, or even death.