The first ever National Drug Survey conducted by the National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), Noida on the recommendation of the Union health ministry to check the safety aspects of the drugs manufactured and sold in the country has shown that all the drugs being manufactured by the Tamil Nadu pharma industry are without any sort of failures.
The report highlights the fact that the Tamil Nadu pharma industry follows good quality culture in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. It is learnt that all the companies in the state are long term players.
Out of the total of 946 Not-of-Standard-Quality (NSQ) drugs of major companies whose more than five drugs have been failed in the samples testing, major portion is of major players and multi-national companies. From the survey report that was uploaded in the websites of CDSCO, NIB and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, it is clear that the pharmaceutical products of Tamil Nadu pharma industry rank top position in quality aspects.
According to the data, only 1.6 per cent of these total 946 NSQ drugs found in the national level is from Tamil Nadu and that constitutes only a very negligible part. This minor portion of the NSQs was found from the products of two small companies, Eurokem Laboratories Pvt Ltd located at Thiruporur and Arvind Remedies Limited headquartered at Thiruvellore. Tamil Nadu has more than 450 manufacturing units including big and small and they contribute a sizeable share of the total products marketed in the domestic as well as foreign markets.
The data clearly shows that a large portion of the quality failed products are manufactured by major players like Pfizer, Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Alkem Laboratories, Cipla, Zydus Healthcare..etc, These multi-national companies occupy a major position in the domestic marketing and have major hold in export marketing.
Speaking to Pharmabiz, leaders of Tamil Nadu IDMA and industry heads, SV Veeramani and J Jayaseelan, said the Tamil Nadu pharma industry is following all the rules and regulations, hence the products of the companies have good demand in the market across the country. All the units take measures to ensure quality systems and standards properly in each phase of the production and the manufacturers are very much quality conscious.
The report of the survey also points out that no NSQ was found in the sample testing of products manufactured by the companies in Kerala where less than 20 units are in the field.