Hyderabad: As many as 18 drugs, including painkillers, antibiotics and cough syrups, were found to be ‘not of standard quality’ in Telangana by the Union health ministry’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in March.
Out of these 18 drugs, nine batches contained only albendazole, an anti-parasitic drug commonly used to treat infections caused by worms in children, such as tapeworm, ringworm and others. While eight batches of albendazole were manufactured in Dec 2024, one was manufactured in June last year, according to the CDSCO report.
In addition, three of the NSQ drugs were labelled as misbranded, which means they contained false information.
During inspections in Feb, CDSCO declared eleven drugs as ‘not of standard quality’ (NSQ).
A senior official of the Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana, said: “The drug was flagged for quality issues as it did not meet the dissolution quality test. The Madhya Pradesh-based manufacturer, which supplied eight of the nine batches of albendazole, will soon be blacklisted by the govt.”
Dr Madap Karuna, a senior paediatrician, noted that albendazole supplements are being given to children, even in schools. “It is effective in treating parasitic infections that can lead to iron deficiency, malnutrition and anaemia. It can also improve haemoglobin levels in children with parasitic infections, and albendazole is given to children at least once a year and to mothers during the third trimester.”
A drug is branded NSQ if it does not meet the requirements of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. This is usually due to poor manufacturing, contamination and stability issues. Among other things, it leads to a loss of potency of the drug over time.
“If the drugs are of poor quality, the disease will persist. Taking NSQ drugs can lead to serious side effects. In some cases, they can have a major impact on a person’s vital organs and even lead to death. It can also lead to drug resistance in patients, making future treatment less effective,” says Dr G Srinivas, a clinical pharmacologist.
