Drug Control Administration of Himachal Pradesh has urged patients and the general public not to use batches of medicines that have been declared below standard in the latest drug alert, as 92 samples from Himachal Pradesh-based manufacturers failed quality tests in September’s national drug alert issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
Of the 330 drug samples that failed quality standards nationally in September, 92 were from Himachal Pradesh manufacturers. Among these, 70 samples were found deficient in critical quality parameters such as potency and dissolution — meaning the medicines either did not contain the right amount of active ingredient or failed to dissolve correctly in the body. The remaining 22 samples had minor deficiencies including labelling issues.
Production halted at 96 units
State Drug Controller Dr. Manish Kapoor stated that pharmaceutical companies whose drugs fail quality standards are not permitted to continue manufacturing until corrective and preventive actions have been verified. Currently, production has been suspended either fully or in specific sections across 96 drug manufacturing units in the state. In applicable cases, manufacturing licences are suspended or cancelled under the provisions of the law. Legal action is also initiated by the concerned officers in the areas from where the samples were collected.
Dr. Kapoor emphasised that there is zero tolerance for the manufacture and distribution of substandard medicines.
NSQ percentage declining despite higher sample count
While the absolute number of failed samples from Himachal Pradesh has risen — from 82 in July and 64 in August to 92 in September — the proportion of non-standard quality (NSQ) samples relative to the state’s share in national domestic drug supply has actually come down. The Health Secretary noted that against Himachal Pradesh’s approximately 33 percent share in domestic drug supply, the NSQ sample ratio has declined from 34 percent in July to 28 percent in September — indicating that enforcement measures are beginning to show some effect.
The Health Secretary has appealed to people to check the CDSCO’s official website for the drug alert and verify the names and batch numbers of medicines they are using against the listed substandard batches. If a medicine’s batch number matches one listed in the alert, it should not be used and should be returned to the pharmacy or reported to the Drug Control Administration.
