A number of 24 medicines currently available in the hospitals around and chemist shops across Jammu and Kashmir have been pronounced as “sub-standard” by two premier drug testing laboratories of the country.
Regional Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chandigarh and Central Drugs Laboratory, Kolkata had analysed 156 sample collected by drug inspectors of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Samples were gathered from different regions in the state in connection with the supply of spurious, harmful drugs in the government-run hospitals.
“The department has taken action after the report came and various drugs have been seized, even as the inquiry is on”, said an official in the Drug Controller Department Jammu.
“We have seized certain medicines after the report by the two laboratories reached us and we have also sent show cause notices to various manufacturing companies in this regard. We are duty-bound to act against spurious drugs,” he added.
Within their report to CDSCO, the laboratories have given the names of 24 medicines, including two taken from the premier healthcare institute in the Valley – SKIMS, as sub-standard.
The testing laboratories further found the samples of Injection Amoxicillin and Potassium Clavulenate taken from SKIMS and manufactured by a Karnataka based company as sub-standard and having the presence of particulate matter,as suggested by the report said.
Likewise, the analysis of another drug from that very institute, Injection Zepoxin, manufactured by a Mumbai based company, showed no clarity of the solution and presence of particulate matter, stated the reports.
Samples of the medicines were taken randomly from various hospitals in Pulwama, Pampore, Baramulla, Doda, Bhaderwah and Srinagar.
Further the samples of the drug Clonazepam 1 mg taken from the Valley’s only psychiatric hospital too turned out to be of sub-standard quality, the reports say..
The testing laboratories further found out that spurious drugs were being sold in chemist shops across the state, as the samples, drawn from such shops in Pulwama, Udhampur, Srinagar and Kishtwar were really sub-standard.
