111 drug samples tested in November found ‘not of standard quality’

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Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has found 41 drug samples tested in the central drug laboratories in November as ‘not of standard quality’ (NSQ), official sources said.

Besides, 70 drug samples tested by the State Drugs Testing Laboratory were also identified as NSQ in November, they said.

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Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on a failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters.

“The failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the government laboratory and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market,” an official said.

Two drug samples were identified as spurious drugs in November. Out of the two samples, one was picked by Bihar Drugs Control Authority and the other by CDSCO, Ghaziabad, the sources said.

The drugs were made by unauthorised and unknown manufacturers, using brand names of other companies.

Action to identify NSQ and spurious medicines is taken regularly in collaboration with the State regulators to ensure such drugs are identified and removed from the market, the sources said.