Hyderabad: The fast-selling iron tablets have been found to be the most abused by illegal manufacturers, followed by vitamin D, zinc, and folic acid tablets as per the raid data for Sept with the Drugs Control Administration.
Iron tablets are widely used in post-surgical cases, anaemia and pregnancy, making the circulation of illegally manufactured medicines highly dangerous, DCA officials said.
“Suppose a patient requires iron in their body due to surgery, pregnancy or any other reason. Having such drugs could mean not getting the required iron. In such cases, the generalised weakness in the body will increase and can also result in malnutrition, neuropathy and heart failure. This can be life-threatening. In the case of pregnant women, it can lead to growth retardation of the baby,” said Dr Prabhu Kumar Challagali, general physician and anti-quackery chairman for Telangana, Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Among the 14 medicines seized in Sept, eight were of different combinations of iron – primarily ferrous ascorbate, zinc, and folic acid. The seized drugs were manufactured in Telangana as well in other states.For instance, Ferrorus-XT tablets (ferrous ascorbate, folic acid & zinc tablets) found in Bhupalpally were manufactured in Kavadiguda. FerinXT tablets (ferrous ascorbate, folic acid & zinc tablets) found in Malkajgiri were manufactured at a unit in Mallapur, while Ferisyn-XT tablets (ferrous ascorbate & folic acid tablets) found in Peddapalli were manufactured in Haryana.
Medicines manufactured and sold under a food licence are not produced in accordance with good manufacturing practices and often fail to meet quality standards, DCA officials said.
“We have previous samples that have zero active ingredients in several cases. Such products pose serious risks to patients’ health and may have severe implications,” said VB Kamalasan Reddy, director general of DCA Telangana.
