New Delhi, October 26 : The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has raised a health alert following its September report on drug quality in India. In its vigilance efforts, CDSCO identified 49 pharmaceutical products that failed to meet the necessary quality standards out of approximately 3,000 samples tested. This action underscores the importance of public awareness and safety regarding the prevalence of substandard or spurious drugs in the market.
Among the flagged products were Calcium 500 mg and Vitamin D3 tablets produced by Life Max Cancer Laboratories, which did not pass the quality control tests. Several other medicines were found to be spurious, reportedly produced by unverified manufacturers. The CDSCO’s chief, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, emphasized that despite rigorous monitoring, roughly 1% of all tested drugs did not meet quality standards. This highlights both the challenges and the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to control the presence of substandard drugs.
As part of its commitment to public health, the CDSCO has implemented batch-wise recalls of affected drugs. Some of the notable products in question include Metronidazole tablets by Hindustan Antibiotics, Domperidone tablets from Rainbow Life Sciences, and Oxytocin injections by Pushkar Pharma. Also flagged were Metformin tablets by Swiss Biotech Parentarels, PAN 40 from Alkem Labs, and Paracetamol tablets from Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd, among others.
The CDSCO’s vigilance extends beyond tablets and injections, identifying non-drug items such as Gauze Roll Non-Sterile Roller Bandages, emphasizing the broader safety risks posed by substandard health products.
This monthly surveillance is a critical component of CDSCO’s strategy to reduce the distribution of non-standard quality (NSQ) drugs and ensure public safety. Patients are encouraged to remain vigilant, consult healthcare providers before use, and report any adverse effects from medications.
