‘Companies making substandard drugs

Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil on Thursday said that companies producing substandard medicines were facing stiff penalties, including the suspension of their manufacturing permissions.

The minister, while chairing a meeting with the officers of the Drug Control Administration, reiterated the state government's commitment to ensuring the availability of affordable and quality medicines to people. “The Drug Control authorities are actively enforcing the Drugs and Cosmetics Act to maintain high standards of medicine quality. From January 2023 to October 2024, the administration conducted 142 inspections and took action against 116 pharmaceutical companies,” he added.

Shandil said, “The manufacturing of an identified product is suspended for one to two months and legal proceedings are initiated under the respective jurisdiction. Additionally, these companies are directed to review and rectify their manufacturing processes.” He added that Himachal had emerged as a pharma hub and "accounts for 33 per cent of the country’s medicine production".

According to a Health Ministry survey, the national percentage of substandard medicines stands at 3.16 per cent as compared to 1.22 per cent in Himachal.