History
The Drugs Control Department was established in 1961,shortly after the formation of the State of Kerala as part of a nationwide effort to regulate the manufacture,distribution and sale of Drugs and Cosmetics under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.Before the formation of Kerala,drug regulation in the region was managed separately under the Travancore-Cochin administration. After the reorganization of states , there was a need for a unified and structured enforcement mechanism in the newly formed state,which led to the creation of the dedicated department.
Quality of drugs is beyond the understanding of common man. It is the responsibility of the Drugs Control Department to ensure the availability of quality drugs to the public and the market is free from counterfeit;spurious and substandard drugs and no drugs are sold at a price higher than the retail price marked on the container. Additionally, the Drugs Control Department plays a crucial role in regulating and optimizing the use of potentially misused drugs and antibiotics by preventing their Over -The -Counter(OTC) sale.
DRUG CONTROLLERS-KERALA STATE
| Sl. No. | Name | From | To |
| 01 | Shri. N.CHANDRASEKHARAN NAIR | 28.12.1966 | 30.04.1977 |
| 02 | Shri. P.M. VARKEY (In Charge) | 01.05.1977 | 15.04.1979 |
| 03 | Shri. V.J.THOMAS | 16.04.1979 | 30.04.1988 |
| 04 | Shri. D.KUMARAN NAIR | 01.05.1988 | 31.11.1991 |
| 05 | Shri. C.G . SUKUMARAN NAYAR | 01.12.1991 | 31.07.1994 |
| 06 | Shri. V.S PARASURAMAN | 01.08.1994 | 30.04.1997 |
| 07 | Shri. S.S. VENKATA KRISHNAN | 01.05.1997 | 30.09.2002 |
| 08 | Shri. T.P GOPINATHAN | 01.10.2002 | 28.02.2005 |
| 09 | Smt. G.SUDHA | 01.03.2005 | 31.03.2005 |
| 10 | Shri. A.ABDUL SHUKOOR | 01.04.2005 | 30.04.2006 |
| 11 | Shri. S.M. THAHA | 01.05.2006 | 29.02.2008 |
| 12 | Shri. M.P GEORGE | 01.03.2008 | 31.03.2010 |
| 13 | Smt. M.GEETHA | 01.04.2010 | 27.10.2011 |
| 14 | Shri. C.S SATHEESH KUMAR | 28.10.2011 | 31.10.2012 |
| 15 | Shri. P.HARIPRASAD | 01.11.2012 | 31.01.2017 |
| 16 | Shri. RAVI .S. MENON | 01.02.2017 | 30.04.2020 |
| 17 | Shri. P.PRAKASH BABU (In Charge) | 01.05.2020 | 31.05.2020 |
| 18 | Shri. K.J. JOHN | 01.06.2020 | 31.10.2021 |
| 19 | Shri. P.M.JAYAN | 01.11.2021 | 31.05.2023 |
| 20 | Dr. SUJITH KUMAR .K | 01.06.2023 |