A blood pressure pill bought at a chemist in Gurugram may not have been what it claimed to be. An investigation into “counterfeit” strips of Telma-AM — a commonly prescribed hypertension drug — has uncovered an alleged interstate racket, with investigators tracing the supply chain from two local pharmacies to wholesale distributors across four states and a factory in Uttarakhand.

Pharmaceutical major Glenmark, which manufactures the authentic brand, confirmed in writing to authorities that the seized batches were counterfeit and carried forged packaging, as per court records.

According to a recent order issued by a Gurugram court in a connected bail matter, the investigation began on July 16 after a brand protection associate from Glenmark alerted drug control officials that spurious versions of the drug were circulating in the local market.

A joint team from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) subsequently inspected two retail stores in Sector 52: SDL Pharmacy in the HUDA Market and DS Pharmacy at…