KOZHIKODE: The Central Drug Testing Laboratory has found that over 40 important medicines manufactured by leading pharmaceutical companies are either counterfeit or substandard. These include drugs prescribed to pregnant women, vitamins, and heparin, an anticoagulant given to heart patients, according to the institute’s report. The report also added that many of these medicines do not contain specified amounts of chemical ingredients.
Drug controllers in northern India collected samples for testing, which were tested by the Central Drug Standards Control Authority in August. Incidentally, many of the companies manufacturing the drugs in question also supply products to the Kerala Medical Services Corporation and private pharmacies in the state.
Other medicines found to be counterfeit or of poor quality include antibiotics such as amoxicillin, sepodem, and ciprofloxacin. Antiallergic drugs (antihistamines) monter and fexofenadine. Pantoprazole reduces acidity. Metformin and glimepiride for diabetes. Salbutamol for asthma and phenytoin for attacks. All these drugs are commonly prescribed by doctors in Kerala.
However, pharmaceutical companies selling the drugs under brand names disputed the report’s findings, saying none of the drugs were manufactured in their factories. The companies said substandard and fake medicines were being produced by small businesses that were granted loan licenses by major companies to allow them to manufacture medicines.
