Pharmacist selling intoxicant to schoolchildren fined

• Ordered to publish an apology in a national newspaper

By D.G. Sugathapala   

A pharmacist who sold Pregabalin, a strong painkiller  drug, to schoolchildren who used it as an intoxicant was fined Rs.  200,000 and ordered to publish in a national newspaper an apology from  the public for the offence. He was ordered to refrain from the recurrence  of similar incidents and to renew his pharmacy licence which had  expired.   

The accused Rajamanthi Karunaratne was a resident of Thalagaha Junction in Akmeemana.   

Food and Drug Inspectors who produced the accused told  court that it was prohibited from issuing Pregabalin without a medical  prescription. They said they carried out the raid on intelligence  received from Boossa Army camp.   

Galle District Food and Drug Inspectors S.S. Hapuarachchi  and D.S.P. Gunasekara had carried out the raid on the instructions of  Galle District Director of Health Services Prasad Ranaweera.