Mumbai Survey Shows 71% Get Medicines Without Prescription As Maharashtra FDA Cracks Down on Licensees

A staggering 71% of consumers in Mumbai surveyed by LocalCircles reported that chemists never or rarely asked for a doctor prescription when selling prescription drugs, outstripping a national average of 64%. The findings, published on September 18, 2026, arrive as regulatory authorities ramp up scrutiny on retail pharmaceutical operations across Maharashtra following extensive statewide enforcement actions against substandard licensees.

Out of 3,697 Mumbai respondents generating over 20,000 total survey interactions, 36% stated that chemists never refused to supply medicines without an official prescription, while another 35% indicated that such refusals occurred very rarely. Furthermore, the survey revealed that only 28% of consumers were assisted by a qualified pharmacist most of the time or always, with 21% reporting that transactions were handled by unqualified staff members.

The alarming survey numbers coincide with a broader administrative push by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration. Under the leadership of FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the department has intensified enforcement drives targeting various trade violations across the state. In a public warning delivered to department personnel, Mundhe underscored a zero tolerance approach toward dereliction of duty and compromise during inspections.

Mundhe noted that the administration had initiated vigilance inquiries into specific complaints of officers accepting compromises during raids. He confirmed that proposals for departmental action against defaulting personnel had already been submitted, emphasizing that deliberate misconduct within the regulatory ranks would meet immediate administrative penalties rather than deferred warnings.

To tighten compliance across retail networks, the Central government has proposed making CCTV surveillance mandatory at medical stores dispensing prescription medications. This proposed physical monitoring standard aims to curb the rampant over-the-counter dispensing of scheduled drugs identified in consumer polling data across metropolitan centers.

Concurrently, Maharashtra FDA leadership has formally requested state intelligence and vigilance agencies to increase surveillance on regulatory staff to prevent the misuse of official authority during ongoing enforcement drives. Commissioner Mundhe stressed that local administrative officers would face personal accountability for illegal operations running unchecked within their designated jurisdictions.