India, Sept. 5 -- The Delhi government's Drugs Control Department (DCD) has directed pharmacies across the Capital to stop displaying or advertising "unrealistic and exaggerated" discounts on medicines, saying claims of discounts as high as 80% raise concerns about the genuineness and source of the drugs being sold.

In an advisory issued on August 17, accessed by HT, the department directed all licensed pharmacies and medical stores to refrain from displaying or publicising "unrealistic, exaggerated, false, misleading or vague claims regarding discounts or prices of medicines".

The advisory comes amid the growing presence of pharmacy chains offering discounts of 20% to 80% on medicines. Officials, who asked not to be identified, said th...