CDSCO flags 135 medicines as ‘not of standard quality’

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has listed at least 135 drugs and formulations as not of standard quality (NSQ) for December last year, after both central and state testing laboratories across the country flagged these samples, according to the drugs regulator’s alert issued on Friday.

According to a release issued by CDSCO, of the 135 samples that failed quality test, 84 were identified by various state drugs testing laboratories, while the central drugs laboratories have identified 51 samples.

The regulator in its release said that December’s NSQ reporting indicated increased participation of states in reporting NSQs to the central database. “Increased reporting of NSQs/Spurious identifications from states to central database will further help in improving availability of quality medicines in the country and beyond,” it added.

As part of the continuous regulatory surveillance, drug samples are picked from sales or distribution points and analysed after which the regulator displays a list of NSQ drugs on CDSCO portal on monthly basis, the release said. The purpose of displaying the NSQ list is to make stakeholders aware about the batches of such drugs identified in the market.

“It is a part of the campaign to arm the consumer with adequate information so that they are aware of the presence of such products in the market,” a senior official in the drugs regulatory department said, requesting anonymity.