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Fake Medicines Flood Indian Pharmaceutical Market: A Major Public Health Concern

Abundance of fake medicines in the pharmaceutical market:

According to the World Health Organization, 35 percent of the counterfeit medicines in the world go from India and it has control over the counterfeit medicine market worth about Rs 4000 crore. About 20 percent of the medicines sold in India are counterfeit. Most of the medicines for headache and cold are either fake or of poor quality. According to the data of the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, more than ten percent of the medicines have been introduced into the pharmaceutical market of the state and 38 percent of the medicines do not have adequate effect due to not conforming to the standards. In a survey conducted by the National Institute of Biologicals on the instructions of the Union Health Ministry, poor quality of medicines was found in government hospitals compared to the market.



New Delhi: In today's times, the air to breathe is polluted. The water is bad. Chemicals are found in most of the food items. Our lifestyle is also deteriorating. In such circumstances, falling ill is common. When someone falls ill, someone does self-medication, while someone else takes medicines as per doctor's advice. We believe that by taking medicines we will be cured. But if doubts arise regarding the medicines themselves or if the medicine fails the test, then it is natural to be worried. 

The country's largest drug regulatory body Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) released a list two days ago. CDSCO had done quality test of 53 medicines. Out of these, a list of only 48 medicines has been released. Companies manufacturing 5 out of 53 medicines said that these are not their medicines, but fake medicines are being sold in the market in their name. After this he was removed from the list. In this report of cDSCO, not every batch of these medicines, but only some specific batches have been declared not of standard quality. Still, this is a matter of concern.

Which medicines failed in the quality test?

Apart from paracetamol, vitamins, sugar and blood pressure medicines, antibiotics have also failed in the quality test. Calcium and Vitamin D3 supplements, anti-diabetes pills and high blood pressure medicines are also included in this list.

More than 50 medicines including Paracetamol-BP failed in quality test, are you also taking fake medicines?

The country's largest drug regulatory body Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) released a list two days ago. CDSCO had done quality test of 53 medicines. Out of these, a list of only 48 medicines has been released. Companies manufacturing 5 out of 53 medicines said that these are not their medicines, but fake medicines are being sold in the market in their name.

CDSCO banned these medicines:

The list of banned medicines includes Clonazepam tablets used in seizures and anxiety, pain killer Diclofenac, Ambroxol used for respiratory diseases, anti fungal fluconazole and some multi vitamin and calcium tablets. These medicines are manufactured by big companies like Hetero Drugs, Alkem Laboratories, Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL), Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Limited.

Which companies prepare these medicines?

Anti-bacterial drug Clavam 625 is manufactured by a company named Alkem Health Science's. It is produced in Namthang, South Sikkim. Its batch number 23443940 has been found to be fake.

Calcium and Vitamin D supplement Shelcal is manufactured by Pure & Cure Healthcare company. A particular batch of this medicine has also been declared beyond quality. This medicine is prepared in Haridwar unit. 

Another widely used medicine is Pan D. It is an antacid. A particular batch of this has also been declared fake. It is also manufactured by Alkem Health Science's.

A batch of paracetamol tablets of Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd's is also included in this report. Paracetamol tablets of many other companies are also in this list.

A special batch of Cepodem XP 50 Dry Suspension from Hyderabad-based Hetero Labs is also included in this list. This medicine is given to treat children with serious bacterial infections of the throat, lungs and urinary tract. 

Many batches of Telmisartan tablets used for high blood pressure have failed in quality tests. This medicine is manufactured in Life Max Cancer Laboratories, Haridwar. 

A particular batch of antibiotic Metronidazole, used to treat stomach infections, has failed in quality tests. It is manufactured by the government company Hindustan Antibiotics Limited.


Where were these medicines tested?

All these medicines, made in manufacturing units in places like Sikkim, Pune, Baddi, Haridwar, have been tested in the labs of Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Guwahati. 



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