However, experts say among the din in the Parliament, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and the Pharmacy Act 1948 were decriminalised without much debate.
Prashant Reddy, a lawyer specialising in intellectual property law and drug regulation, said that the health ministry is now saying they are making the offence compoundable. “The aim of bringing the amendment was to classify certain drug-related violations as compoundable offences, which means that anyone held under the charges can be let off after paying a fine. In this case, Rs 5 lakh,” he said, adding that this means the pharma industry won’t have any accountability.
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