14 drugs fail to clear quality hurdle in Himachal

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, December 21

Fourteen drug samples of 12 drug firms located in Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, Kasauli and Una were among 62 samples which were declared not of standard quality in the monthly alert issued today by the national drugs regulator.

As many as 1,197 drug samples from across the nation were tested. Out of this, 1,133 were found to be of standard quality while 62 were declared not of standard quality while one each was found to be spurious and misbranded.

Out of the 12 samples figuring in the list from Himachal, three were found unlabelled.

Navneet Marwaha, State Drugs Controller, when asked, said the batches of all the drugs listed today in the alert would be immediately withdrawn from market. The field staff has been directed to investigate the reason by visiting the plant.

He said that they have tightened the noose around the erring firms with seven testing labs and 60 firms facing stop manufacturing this year owing to various laxities. At least 15 to 20 firms continue to face stop manufacturing for the last several months due to non-compliance of the conditions.

He also informed that 13 persons involved in the manufacture of spurious drugs have been arrested this year and action taken to check this menace in the state.

Drugs like Cefixime Azithromycin tablet, Paracetamol tablet, Albendazole tablet, Spironolactone tablet, Fenofibrate capsule, Doxylamine succinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride and folic acid tablet and Ciprofloxacin tablet figure in the list of drugs declared not of standard quality.

These drugs are used to treat bacterial infection, pain, worm infection, high blood pressure and heart failure, lower lipid in the body, nausea and vomiting and antibiotics.

The list also includes injections like Ondansetron and Doxorubicin Hydrochloride used for treating various types of cancer.