Kolkata: Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory body for drugs, cosmetics and medical devices, has listed numerous batches of 63 common drugs manufactured by various pharmaceutical firms across the country that have failed quality tests. According to its data for Jan 2025, two samples were also found to be spurious.
The list includes samples of widely used hypertension medicine like telmisartan, anti-vomiting medicine like ondansetron, vitamin B12 supplements, paracetamol, antibiotics, levocetrizine and pantoprazole. Also on the list are 16 batches of Ringer's Lactate, an IV drip manufactured by Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical, a company that was blacklisted this Jan.
Some of the pharma majors whose medicine batches failed quality tests include Regent Ajanta Biotech, Marine Medicare, Wings Biotech, Vats Biotech, Medinok Healthcare, Medistark Biotech, Sharun Pharmaceuticals, Jackson Laboratories, Rippon Laboratories, Oscar Remedies, Hindustan Laboratories, Maxwell Lifescience, Himalaya Meditek, SVP Lifescience and Syndicate Pharma, among others.
"What is alarming for customers is that these batches are not restricted to any particular state. After the medicine is manufactured, it is supplied to Carry & Forwarding agents in each state per the requirement placed with manufacturers. It is distributed to retailers through wholesalers. There is no way to find out whether the medicines were consumed by a patient in Tamil Nadu or Bengal," said Prithwi Bose, general secretary of Bengal Chemists & Druggists Association.
Somnath Ghosh of Metro Pharma said the best way to prevent consumption of sub-standard medicine was to purchase drugs from authorised dealers of the manufacturers so that they could withdraw substandard medicines after this was reported. Others pointed out, however, that with reputed pharmaceutical companies figuring on the list, making sure that purchased medicines were of standard quality was extremely challenging.
Following the death of a woman after a Caesarean section at Midnapore Medical College and Hospital earlier this year, Bengal govt had on Jan 14 recalled seven types of saline, including Ringer's Lactate solution by Paschim Banga Pharmaceutical. Four other women who were administered Ringer's Lactate by the same company had also developed complications. The ban on manufacturing by the company is still in place.
"Ours is a country with multiple generic brands. Quality drugs are important for patient treatment outcomes. Drug quality control has to be taken up with extreme seriousness," said Subhrojyoti Bhowmick, professor of pharmacology at KPC Medical College.