Audit reveals deficient drug testing at PGIMER

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, January 25

An audit report of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has highlighted several irregularities, including inadequacies in the drug testing mechanism, presence of expired medicines in the stock and lapses in the review and updating of essential drugs list.

The report pointed out a notable deficiency in the drug testing mechanism, raising concerns over the quality of drugs given to patients. While the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1949 empowers the PGIMER to have its own drug checks at its cost, the report indicates a lack of a comprehensive system for testing drugs before declaring these “not of standard quality (NSQ)”.

The PGIMER clarifies for medicines exceeding Rs 5 lakh in cost, firms are mandated to provide a test report, and the institute sends drug samples to government-approved laboratories for testing.

Another alarming revelation is the presence of expired medicines in the institute’s stock. The PGIMER reported that during the 2020-23, it procured drugs worth Rs 145 crore, with only Rs 5.44 lakh worth of drugs expiring. The institute defends this figure, asserting that the percentage of expired drugs (0.037 per cent) falls well within the generally accepted norms of 2 per cent. However, the disposal of the remaining drugs is still awaited.

The audit also drew attention to the non-review of supplier registrations for drug procurement. The institute explains that major registration processes occurred in 2014, 2017, and 2020, with delays attributed to the Covid pandemic and mucormycosis epidemic. The PGIMER assures that the renewal process has been initiated and will be updated promptly.

Further, the report highlights non-updating of the PGI formulary, a crucial document for prescribing doctors, listing approved drugs by generic names. The last update of the essential life-saving drug list was in 2017, with efforts to revise it commencing in light of the evolving medical landscape. However, the process faced delays due to the challenges posed by the pandemic. The institute has ensured that the roadmap for updating the formulary will be intimidated.