In a concerning revelation, 23 medicines manufactured in Himachal Pradesh have been declared substandard by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the State Drug Controller. The failed medicines include treatments for critical conditions such as heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer, raising alarm about pharmaceutical safety in the region. The findings came as part of a nationwide September drug alert, with 67 medicines across India found to be below standard.
Himachal Pradesh, a major pharmaceutical manufacturing hub, saw 12 faulty medicines originating from Solan, 10 from Sirmaur, and one from Kangra. CDSCO tested 49 samples from across the state, of which 20 were deemed substandard, while the State Drug Controller’s tests revealed that 3 out of 18 samples also failed. Following these results, the Drug Controller issued notices to the manufacturers and cancelled their production licenses. A directive has also been issued to recall the substandard stock from the market immediately.
Among the medicines that failed the quality standards, several were used for serious health conditions. Oxytocin, manufactured by Pushkar Pharma in Sirmaur and used during childbirth, failed the quality tests. Calcium Gluconate, a heart attack medication produced by Martin and Brown in Baddi, was also found substandard, alongside Ceftriaxone, an antibiotic used for pneumonia made by G Laboratory in Paonta Sahib. Gentamicin for infections and blood sugar medication Genericart were similarly flagged as substandard.
Innovo Captep Company in Jhadmajri saw two of its Nimesulide samples fail, while the antibiotic Ciprovin from Celebrity Biotech and Motosep from Ariso Pharmaceutical in Makhoon Majra also did not meet the required standards. In Kala Amb, Promethazine from Nitin Life Science and the cancer drug Ifosfamide from Quality Pharmaceutical failed the tests, as did Bupron SR, an antidepressant produced by Digital Vision.
Further testing revealed that Cefoperazone and Piperacillin, antibiotics produced in Baddi, were substandard. Additionally, Solan-based JM Lab’s Torsemi, a blood pressure medication, and Baddi-based Clesta Pharmaceutical’s diabetes drug Neurochem also failed quality checks. Other failed medicines included infection treatment drug Inclave from Wedsp Pharmaceutical in Jhadmajri and pain reliever Stay Happy Trypsin from Trivision Health Care in Baddi.
The Drug Controller has taken swift action, cancelling the manufacturing licenses of the implicated pharmaceutical companies and ordering them to recall the substandard medicines. The regulatory authority is working to ensure that the faulty products are removed from circulation, protecting public health and maintaining pharmaceutical safety standards.
This discovery has raised significant concerns about the quality control practices of pharmaceutical companies in Himachal Pradesh, which is home to numerous drug manufacturers. Authorities are expected to conduct further investigations to address these quality lapses and prevent future incidents.
