The Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) has flagged over 50 medicines, including paracetamol, Pan D, and calcium supplements, as “not of standard quality” in its latest monthly quality check report, sparking concerns about their safety.
In its August 2024 report, the central drug regulator categorized several drugs, such as vitamin D and calcium supplements, high blood pressure medications, and certain anti-diabetes pills, under the “Not of Standard Quality (NSQ Alert)” category. These alerts result from random monthly sampling conducted by state drug officials.
The list of drugs failing the quality test includes vitamin C and D3 tablets, Shelcal, vitamin B complex, vitamin C softgels, anti-acid Pan-D, paracetamol tablets (IP 500 mg), the anti-diabetic drug Glimepiride, and the high blood pressure medication Telmisartan.
These medications were produced by various companies, including Hetero Drugs, Alkem Laboratories, Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL), Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Pure & Cure Healthcare, and Meg Lifesciences, among others.
Metronidazole, a commonly used treatment for stomach infections manufactured by HAL, also failed the quality test. Likewise, Shelcal, a widely used calcium and vitamin D3 supplement, has been flagged in the NSQ Alert category.
A drug-testing lab in Kolkata classified antibiotics like Clavam 625 and Pan D as spurious. Cepodem XP 50 Dry Suspension, a popular infection medication for children, was also flagged by CDSCO for not meeting quality standards.
The central drug regulator issued two lists: one featuring 48 drugs that failed quality tests and another listing 5 drugs in the NSQ Alert category, along with responses from their manufacturers.
One response from Pulmosil’s manufacturer stated, “The actual manufacturer (as per label claim) has informed that the impugned batch of the product has not been manufactured by them and that it is a spurious drug. The product is purported to be spurious, however, the same is subjected to outcome of investigation.”
Earlier in August, CDSCO banned over 156 fixed-dose drug combinations nationwide, citing potential risks to human health.
