Eleven per cent of drug samples collected from Delhi government hospitals and 4% from retail and wholesale shops were declared as not of standard quality, states an RTI reply from the Drug Control Department.
Of the total 2,276 samples collected from retails, wholesalers and government hospitals in the city, from 2013 to 2018 — 115 samples of drugs were “not of standard quality”.
The Drug Control Department stated that it collected 1,955 drug samples from 2013 to March 2018 from retail and wholesale shops across Delhi, in which 79 drugs samples (4%) were not of standard quality.
During the same period, 321 samples were collected from government hospitals of which 36 (11%) were not of standard quality.
WHO says
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that substandard and falsified medical products may cause harm to patients and fail to treat diseases.
Falsified products
Antimalarial and antibiotics are amongst the most commonly reported substandard and falsified medical products. An estimated 1 in 10 medical products in low and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified.
These contribute to antimicrobial resistance and drug-resistant infections.
Delhi-based RTI activist R.H. Bansal, who sought this information, said drugs are randomly picked up by the Drug Control Department and then tested for quality.
“It is surprising that this quality of medicine could enter the Capital. Also, these drugs are being distributed in government hospitals where the poor go for treatment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had announced a series of measures to ensure the quality of drugs, including generic drugs manufactured and marketed in the country.
This included directing the States and Union Territories to set up Special Courts for trial of offences under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for speedy disposal.
“Guidelines for taking action on samples of drugs declared spurious or not of standard quality in the light of enhanced penalties under the Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008, were forwarded to the State Drugs Controllers for uniform implementation and the number of sanctioned posts in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization [CDSCO] has been increased from 111 in 2008 to 510 in 2018,’’ said a senior official.
He added that the testing capacities of Central Drugs Testing Laboratories under CDSCO are being constantly strengthened to expedite testing of drug samples in the country.