HYDERABAD: The inordinate time it takes to know if medicines are spurious, adulterated or of lesser quantity would get reduced as the laboratory at Telangana Drug Control Administration (DCA) is going to be provided with additional lab analysts and infrastructure. After drug inspectors collect samples on suspicion of the drugs being adulterated or other violations, they send the samples to the laboratory.
However, currently, only around seven lab analysts conduct tests there and it takes anywhere more than 46 to 60 days to know the results. Officials from the DCA said that though their guidelines give 60 days time to hand over the results, they are keen to cut down the time. It is an unmentioned rule that every drug inspector is supposed to pick up at least three samples in a month. “There are around 57 drug inspectors employed at DCA. Even if the least of three samples are sent by each drug inspector, number goes to 161 and there are only seven analysts who have to process all these samples & infrastructure is less too. It takes anywhere more than 60 days to prove or disprove our suspicions,” said sources in department.
“Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation is going to provide us with 15 or more senior and junior lab analysts which will bring downtime,” Director of DCA Dr Preeti Meena said.
