De-addiction centre sells buprenorphine sans licence

Tribune News Service

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Bathinda, September 16

A drug de-addiction centre in Bathinda has been selling buprenorphine and other medicines, which only authorised centres can sell, to addicts without a required licence from the Health Department.

As per the records of the department, the licence of Bathinda Psychiatrist Nursing Home, situated near Ganesha Basti on the Bathinda-Goniana road, had expired on September 4. However, the centre continued to operate even after that.

As per an official of the Health Department, the owner of the centre had applied for the renewal of the licence, but it was not approved. After the validity of the licence expired on September 4, the de-addiction centre continued to sell buprenorphine for over a week.

The official added the functioning of the centre without licence renewal could directly be attributed to the laxity on part of the district Health Department.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Amrik Singh Sandhu said, “The renewal of the centre was pending. We have completed required formalities from our end and sent it for the approval to the head office. The centre can continue to run till renewal is granted, but it cannot prescribe buprenorphine tablets. As soon as the matter was brought to my notice, we had directed the centre to stop operation till the renewal was granted.”