The results of the much-awaited official survey to ascertain the quantum of spurious drugs in the country are likely to come out by the end of May as the process of analysing the samples were in the final stages in the labs.
The CDSCO had collected over 24,000 samples, more than 80 per cent of the targeted 25,000 samples, from different therapeutic categories and the same have been sent for lab tests. The results of the keenly awaited survey, undertaken by the DCGI office, are expected to put at rest the controversies about the extent of spurious drugs in the country.
"We have collected more than 24,000 samples, and the volume itself makes it the largest study of the sort in the world. Though we wanted to collect more, we had to look at the logistics side like if the government labs could carry that much load and finish the tests in time," DCGI Dr Surinder Singh told Pharmabiz.
"But this is just the phase 1 and we want to go for two or three more phases to cover the other left out therapeutic segments too. Our target is to test between 80,000 and 100,000 samples in different phases and get a complete picture on the extent of spurious drugs. We have sought budgetary provision for holding the next phase also," he said.
So far India has no government data gathered through official survey on the quantum of spurious drugs. The health ministry has been quoting the findings of a WHO-sponsored study, held by SEARPharm, which found that only 0.3 per cent of drugs were spurious. That survey also just covered over 10,000 samples. The official tests held in the government labs during the last five years also put the quantum between 0.3 to 0.4 per cent.
However, reports like that from Assocham and some international groups, claimed huge presence of fake drugs in the country, though the government denied them as baseless. The Centre had then announced the official survey to draw some realistic figures. The study, being held at a cost of Rs 50 lakh, was designed by the Indian Statistical Institute, Hyderabad, and the samples were collected through the drug inspectors and other specially assigned teams.