CDSCO flags 186 drugs that fail to meet quality standards
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has listed at least 186 drugs and formulations as not of standard quality (NSQ) in May , after both central and state testing laboratories across the country flagged these samples, according to the national drugs regulator's alert issued on Friday. CDSCO flags 186 drugs that fail to meet quality standards
Two samples were found to be spurious.
Data accessed by HT for the year so far, showed that at least 561 samples were labelled as NSQ by the national drugs regulator while three samples were found to be spurious.
NSQ drugs are those that fail to meet the quality standards or specifications, including those pertaining to labelling, dissolution, weight uniformity, and sterility.
According to a release issued by CDSCO, of the 186 samples that failed the quality test, 128 were identified by various state drugs testing laboratories, while the central drugs laboratories identified 58 .
'As per routine regulatory surveillance activity, the list of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and Spurious drugs are being displayed… Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters. The failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the Govt. Laboratory and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market,'CDSCO said in the statement.
'Two dug samples from the State of Bihar are identified as spurious drugs, which were manufactured by an unauthorized manufacturer using brand name owned by another company, the matter is under investigation and action will be taken as per Act & Rules.'
Last year, at least 900 samples were found to be of NSQ and 20 spurious from samples randomly lifted from across the country.
As part of the continuous regulatory surveillance, drug samples are picked from sales or distribution points and analysed after which the regulator displays a list of NSQ drugs on CDSCO portal on monthly basis. The purpose of displaying the NSQ list is to make stakeholders aware about the batches of such drugs identified in the market.
The Drugs Controller General of India, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, earlier said that the CDSCO was taking all measures to drastically bring down the percentage of less efficacious drugs, noting that only around 1.5% of the total drugs being sampled were found less efficacious in recent surveys.
Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on the failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters. The regulator said the failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the government laboratory and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market.
Besides NSQs, some defective products related to quality are also categorised as adulterated or spurious drugs, which are considered to have potential to cause serious adverse reactions and even death.
'This action of identifying NSQ and Spurious medicines is taken on a regular basis in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that these drugs are identified and removed from the market,' read the statement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Global recognition for Karnataka's Tobacco Control Cell
Karnataka's State Tobacco Control Cell has been honoured by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for excellence in tobacco control in the South-East Asia region. Each year, the WHO recognises and felicitates the best performing States in the South-East Asia region for their exemplary efforts in tobacco control. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao received the award from WHO representatives in Bengaluru on Saturday. COTPA amendment Tightening tobacco control laws, the Karnataka government last month notified major amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, on the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day observed on May 31. The amendments — through which the maximum fine for violations under tobacco control laws has been increased from ₹200 to ₹1,000, and the legal age for purchasing tobacco products been raised from 18 to 20 years — were approved by President Droupadi Murmu on May 23. The amended Act — the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2024 — was published in the Karnataka Gazette on May 30.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Massive gathering: Nearly 8K people perform yoga at Sangam
Several programmes were organised in the Sangam city to mark the 11th International Yoga Day on Saturday. In one of the major events, nearly 8,000 people reached the Sangam banks in the morning. Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi was the chief guest on the occasion. People in large numbers performed yoga at the Sangam banks in Prayagraj on 11th International Yoga Day on Saturday. (HT photo) As soon as the event began, participants followed the instructions of a yoga instructor and performed different asanas. As per the guidelines issued, people practised yoga for 45 minutes at the venue which was divided into four zones and 12 sectors. At the venue, artist Sanjay Gupta created a sand art on Maharishi Patanjali—the Father of Yoga— which was the centre of attraction for the people with ministers and other public representatives taking selfies near it. Yoga sessions at different places While the judges of the Allahabad high court practised yoga at the high court, similar programmes were also held at the district court, Officers' Hostel, Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, Saraswati Ghat and every gram panchayat and town area of the district. MUNPL celebrates the day Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited (MUNPL) celebrated the International Yoga Day at Utsav Bhawan in Srijan Vihar Township. The event also marked the conclusion of a week-long yoga workshop. Ashesh Kumar Chattopadhyay, CEO, MUNPL, was the chief guest on the occasion while Krishna Chattopadhyay, president, Aprajita Mahila Samaj, was the guest of honour. The event was attended by senior officials and other MUNPL staff. Municipal corporation holds event The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation organised a yoga event at Shivalaya Park located in Arail Naini. Municipal commissioner Seelam Sai Teja, Prayagraj mayor Umesh Chandra Ganesh Kesarwani besides corporators and civic officials took part in the programme. Programme organised at NCR The Yoga Day was celebrated at North Central Railway (NCR) headquarters on the theme 'One Earth, One Health'. The event began with the live telecast of the keynote address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Visakhapatnam. A yoga workshop was organised in the Badminton Hall at Subedarganj, Railgaon Complex, NCR headquarters under GM Upendra Joshi, who was the chief guest. Chief personnel officer, NCR, S Balachandra also graced the occasion. City hospital celebrates the occasion Nearly 200 staff members and students of Nazareth Hospital practised yoga on the hospital premises.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Concern over ‘non-translation' of teenage pregnancies into POCSO Act cases
Based on Right To Information (RTI) data, an activist has expressed concern over the alleged non-translation of teenage pregnancies into Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases in Madurai district. As per the RTI obtained by A. Veronica Mary, a health activist based in Madurai, in the 87 Primary Health Centres (PHC), 55 in rural and 32 in urban, located in the district, a total of 1,127 deliveries were performed in teenagers, aged under 18, between 2023 and 2024. While 429 deliveries were registered in 2023, 698 deliveries were performed in 2024, according to the data. Of all the PHCs in the district, Saptur PHC with 31 deliveries stood first, and T. Pudhupatti PHC with 30 deliveries, Virathanur PHC with 29 deliveries, Kancharampettai PHC and Thaniyamangalam PHC with 26 deliveries and Thumbaipatti PHC 25, followed in the list. Ms. Mary, pointing out the appalling number of teenage pregnancies recorded in the PHCs, questioned whether all of the pregnancies had been translated into POCSO. As per the system, the doctor or the hospital or the institution, whoever is first learning about the pregnancy of a minor girl, either through Child Line number 1098 or through available means, should inform the district administration, she added. Following the registration of the complaint, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) or the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) should inform the police in addition to providing counselling or support to the victim, Ms. Mary stated. While there was a system or mechanism to bring the issue of teenage pregnancy to the notice of the police to follow up on the matter, the difference in POCSO cases in comparison with the RTI data showed that there existed a gap in the process, she alleged. Instead of reacting to such minor pregnancies, Social Welfare Department officials along with the Police Department should carry out awareness campaigns in schools and villages, she suggested. A social welfare department official who did not want to be named said that any information they receive regarding minor marriage or pregnancy, would be informed to the police. 'Even doctors are directed to inform the DCPU or social welfare department about the teenage pregnancies they come across. So, we have a tab on all such incidents in the district,' the official added.
