The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has decided to prepare a guideline for uniform action against the manufacture of not of standard quality (NSQ) medical devices, diagnostic reagents, diagnostic kits etc. The guideline would prescribe the exact procedures to be followed and action to be taken against the manufacturers by every state drug controller.

According to official sources, a guideline for NSQ drugs is already in place. The current move is to make it more comprehensive by including all kinds of drugs and medical devices that were left out from the existing guideline. A sub committee of the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has been given the task of reviewing the guideline and framing new guidelines for NSQ drugs. The committee is to be ready with its report within three months, it is learnt.

According to sources, the recent meeting of DCC had taken note of the need for a fresh NSQ drug guideline. It had also condemned the slow enforcement of NSQ guidelines by several state drug controllers. They felt that several drug controllers are slow in taking action against NSQ manufacturer for a long period. The DCC had wanted all state drug controllers to intimate the action taken against the NSQ manufacturer within six months after receiving the test reports.