A quality check conducted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has found 205 drug samples “not of standard quality (NSQ)”, Himachal Pradesh State Drug Controller Manish Kapoor Saturday said. Of the 295 medicine samples tested, 49 were manufactured by units based in Himachal Pradesh, according to the CDSCO’s monthly drug alert for November.
The substandard drugs manufactured in Himachal included medication for fever, heart attacks, and diabetes. The failed samples originated from various districts: 28 from Solan, 18 from Sirmaur, and one from Una. Notices have been issued to the respective companies, Kapoor said.
He said that in November, the CDSCO collected 65 samples, while the State Drug Controller collected 135 samples. Of these, 47 samples were identified as substandard.
During the testing process, 37 Himachal-made drugs failed quality checks at state drug testing laboratories, while 12 were declared NSQ at CDSCO’s central laboratories. The drug alert noted that a single company based in Kala Amb accounted for the highest number of failed samples from the state, with five medicines found non-compliant.
“Notices have been issued to the companies whose medicine samples failed the quality tests. They have also been asked to recall the stock from the market,” Kapoor said.
Explanations have been sought, and actions will be taken against the companies in accordance with regulations, he said.
“We have urged the general public to visit the website of CDSCO to know which medicines failed quality test. People should avoid purchasing the said medicines,” he added.
The samples of medicines which failed the quality tests include Paracetamol for fever, Clopidogrel and Aspirin for heart attacks, Metformin for lowering blood sugar, Ramipril for heart conditions, Sodium Valproate for epilepsy, and Mebeverine Hydrochloride for reducing muscle spasms, along with several other medicines deemed substandard.
According to CDSCO, of the 205 NSQ drugs identified nationwide in November, 64 failed tests at central laboratories and 141 at state laboratories. Two drugs from the northern region, Ghaziabad, were also declared spurious.
Himachal Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil had earlier announced that companies with recurring failures would be blacklisted, and that the government has been taking action in that regard.
BJP state spokesperson Sandipani Bhardwaj meanwhile hit out at the state government over the failure of drug samples in Himachal Pradesh, calling it a serious issue directly linked to public health and a result of gross administrative negligence. He said the failure of 47 drug samples manufactured in the state clearly indicates a collapse of the manufacturing and quality control mechanism
