India, Nov. 1 -- The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday launched a detailed inquiry against a pharmacist from its Late Nathuram Shankar Marathe Hospital, Kothrud, for allegedly dispensing expired medicines to a patient. The civic body has also transferred the pharmacist and withheld his annual increment, said the officials.

The incident occurred on October 18 when an organ transplant patient, Prakash Shelar, was given an expired vial of Actrapid FlexPen insulin for the treatment of diabetes by the said hospital's pharmacist, Devdhar Valvi. Furthermore, Shelar was erroneously supplied with magnesium-based tablets instead of the vitamin D3 supplements prescribed by the doctor. Fortunately, the patient noticed the expiry date before...