Half the Medicines Found Expired at Solan Jan Aushadhi Kendra, Store Ran Without License for Two Years

More than half the medicines stored at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra (JAK) inside Solan’s Regional Hospital were found expired during a recent inspection by drug authorities, raising serious questions about oversight and patient safety.

The raid was conducted after multiple complaints, by a team of drug inspectors—Priti Sharma and Supriya Sharma. The store operator, Karan Kumar, was unable to present a valid license. The previous license had expired on 15 January 2023, yet the outlet had continued operating in the middle of the hospital for nearly two years without regulatory approval.

The discovery is particularly troubling given that Solan is the home district of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Shandil, highlighting what many see as a lax approach by the state government toward healthcare regulation. A significant number of the expired medicines were linked to common ailments, increasing the risk to patients who rely on affordable generic drugs.

State Drugs Controller Dr. Manish Kapoor said, “The drug inspectors seized stock of 60 medicines during the raid, which was conducted along with the police. Of these, 32 medicines had expired months ago.”

He added that a case has been registered against Karan Kumar, a resident of Una district, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, for stocking and selling medicines without authorization. Further investigation is underway.

Jan Aushadhi Kendras, allotted by the state government under a central scheme, are meant to provide affordable generic medicines, and thousands of patients depend on them daily. Drug officials have collected five samples for lab analysis as part of the ongoing inquiry.