The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) issued a drug alert after samples of five medicines manufactured in Uttarakhand failed to meet quality standards. These medicines were produced in manufacturing units located in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts.
This recent alert is part of a larger concern, as over the past four months, samples of 35 medicines manufactured in Uttarakhand have also failed quality tests. Earlier, in May, samples of eight drugs manufactured in Uttarakhand failed to pass the quality test conducted by the CDSCO.
The quality of medicines manufactured in India has come under scrutiny in recent years, particularly after the deaths of children in Zambia and Uzbekistan were linked to Indian-made cough syrups.
The central government has intensified its monitoring efforts in response to these concerns. The Union Health Ministry now conducts monthly tests on medicines. The latest CDSCO investigation report from June revealed that 31 medicines produced nationwide did not meet quality standards. Among these, five were from Uttarakhand.
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The CDSCO is responsible for approving new drugs, overseeing clinical trials, setting drug standards and controlling the quality of imported drugs in the country. The agency regularly examines the quality and standard of drugs manufactured by pharma companies across the country.