35 Telangana-Made Medicines Fail Quality Tests, CDSCO Data Shows
HYDERABAD: At least 35 drugs manufactured in Telangana and supplied to states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were flagged over the past year by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for being Not of Standard Quality (NSQ). The findings have raised concerns over patient safety and regulatory oversight.
Commonly Prescribed Medicines on NSQ List
The flagged medicines include painkillers, antacids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and anti-parasitic drugs. Doctors routinely prescribe these drugs for common ailments like fever, infections, and gastric problems. Officials said August last year recorded the highest number of NSQ drugs.
Quality Failures and Misbranding Issues
CDSCO data show that samples of medicines such as paracetamol–aceclofenac combinations, pantoprazole, rabeprazole, amoxycillin with potassium clavulanate, and albendazole failed quality tests. In some cases, officials found the drugs misbranded. Experts warned that such failures can reduce drug efficacy and, in certain situations, pose direct health risks.
Experts Flag Gaps in Oversight
Health experts said the findings highlight gaps in regulatory oversight and post-market surveillance. They stressed that both central and state authorities share responsibility for drug quality. Experts called for regular factory inspections, random batch testing, and swift corrective action.
“These are routine medicines for pain, fever and gastric problems. Any compromise in quality can seriously harm patients,” said Dr G Srinivas, assistant professor of clinical pharmacology at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). “States cannot rely only on central alerts. Proactive local monitoring is critical for patient safety.”
Industry Body Calls for Stricter Enforcement
B Shivshankar Gupta, a member of the Telangana Chemists & Druggists Association (TSCDA), said manufacturers often fail quality checks due to poor compliance with CDSCO norms. He said drug authorities must enforce regulations more strictly.
“NSQ alerts are worrying, but they also show that surveillance works,” he said. “Detection does not always mean widespread harm. However, it does signal the need to strengthen manufacturing practices.” He added that small and mid-sized manufacturers need closer technical guidance and stricter audits to prevent repeat violations.
Batches Recalled, Notices Issued
Officials said authorities recalled all affected batches and conducted field inspections at pharmacies and health centres to remove the drugs from circulation. “We also issued show-cause notices to the concerned manufacturers,” a Drugs Control Administration (DCA) official said.
