Chandigarh: In a worrying revelation following the deaths of more than 20 children in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated cough syrup, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has found 112 drug samples across India failing quality checks in September—with 49 originating from Himachal Pradesh alone.
The CDSCO’s monthly drug alert, released this week, paints a grim picture of India’s pharmaceutical oversight. Among the failed samples, two popular cough syrups manufactured in Himachal Pradesh—Ambroxol (Saitech Medicare Pvt Ltd, Sirmaur) and Ambroxol HCl (Naxpar Pharma Pvt Ltd, Baddi)—were declared ‘not of standard quality.’ Both syrups are widely prescribed for relieving cough with mucus.
Adding to the concern, Noscapine, a dry cough formulation made by Om Biomedic Pvt Ltd in Haridwar, and Besto-Cof, a syrup produced in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, failed safety standards.
The CDSCO classified Besto-Cof as ‘spurious,’ after the original manufacturer reportedly denied making that batch.The findings have sparked renewed debate on the quality control mechanisms of India’s drug manufacturing hubs, particularly Baddi, a major pharmaceutical centre in Himachal known for supplying medicines nationwide and abroad.
In Chhattisgarh, state drug labs have also flagged 10 medicines, including multiple batches of Albendazole and Amoxicillin, for not meeting prescribed standards.Officials said that such lapses pose grave risks to public health, calling for tighter regulatory vigilance and immediate recalls of unsafe medicines.
As India continues to battle a spate of drug quality controversies—from Uzbekistan to Gambia—the latest alert serves as yet another reminder that the country’s pharmaceutical boom must not come at the cost of patient safety.
