In a recently issued report, India's Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation has raised its red flag over more than 50 medicines, which have not even passed quality muster. This has thrown up serious questions over the safety of some of the drugs that are widely used, including paracetamol and common treatments for acidity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Popular Medications Under Scrutiny
Among the medications that failed the tests are paracetamol, a well-known pain reliever, and Pan-D, an anti-acid drug. Other drugs flagged include:
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Shelcal – A calcium and Vitamin D3 supplement
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Glimepiride – A diabetes medication
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Telmisartan – Used for high blood pressure
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Metronidazole – An antibiotic for intestinal infections
These drugs are staples in Indian households, making the findings all the more concerning.
Declared Spurious Drugs
Moreover, five were labeled spurious, adulterated, or misbranded. Out of 48 drugs that failed the quality checks, Clavam 625 and Pan-D, which are manufactured by Alkem Health Science, have been notified as hazardous drugs, a drug-testing lab in Kolkata reported. Despite the analytical report, the manufacturers have denied the allegations stating the products were spurious.
Image Source - Patanjali
Ramdev's Patanjali Products Also In Question
The Ramdev brand has had its share of controversies regarding product quality and safety, especially about Patanjali products, in recent years. There have been several health supplements and herbal drugs that were noted to be failing regulatory standards, under government regulations. Although the company was very popular, such incidents question the strength of quality control in the herbal and ayurvedic industries and thereby amplify concerns about the safety of commonplace consumer products in India. Consumers are cautioned to carefully verify the product labels and quality certifications before using such products.
Industry Response and Escalating Safety Issues
Manufacturers involved, reportedly include reputed companies such as Hetero Drugs and Alkem Laboratories. After denials of manufacturing this defective lot, the incident occurred at a time when just recently talcum powder masquerades as antibiotics, and alarming incidents of safety failures of regular medicines in India are sending up a red flag.
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Rising Health Concerns in India
It was predated by a countrywide ban on 156 fixed-dose combinations of drugs in August due to potential danger to human health. Just as trusted medicines come under scrutiny, so too have the safety and efficacy of common-place drugs that consumers trust and rely on and are now concerned about.
The frightening number of medicines failing quality checks has seriously scarred the healthcare system in India. As long as medicines as basic as the ones involved in this case go wrong, the public needs to be doubly cautious. Verify that the date of expiry is checked before the drug is taken so that efficacy does not compromise safety.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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