90 drug samples tested in October found not of standard quality

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation found 56 drug samples tested in the central drug laboratories in October as not of standard quality (NSQ).

Besides, 34 drug samples tested by state drug regulators have also been identified as NSQ, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

Three drug samples picked by the Bihar Drugs Control Authority in October have been identified as spurious. They were manufactured by unauthorised and unknown manufacturers, using brand names owned by another company.

“An investigation has been initiated into the matter,” the ministry stated.

“This action of identifying NSQ and spurious medicines is taken on a regular basis in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that these drugs are identified and removed from the market,” it stated.

Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters. “The failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the government laboratory and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market,” the ministry clarified.