In a significant move, the Kerala Government has directed its drug control department to blacklist pharmaceutical companies supplying substandard drugs to the Government hospitals, and to strictly monitor the Government run drug supply chain.

It is learnt that drug inspectors have been directed to frequently check Government run hospital pharmacies, including those at medical colleges, district, taluk and public health centres in the state. Each drug inspector should take at least 30 samples from the Government run hospital pharmacies, and should seize medicines stocked even after the expiry period.

The drug inspectors will now onwards verify stocks at Government hospital pharmacies and stores on a regular basis. Further, the drug control department will blacklist companies supplying drugs, surgical items and other hospital supplies, found to be of substandard quality during the henceforth-strict sample tests.

Decisions in this regard was taken at a high level meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram this week, and attended by authorities of the Kerala State Health Department, drug control officials, and State Health Minister Kadavoor Sivadasan. The move follows increasing detection of substandard drugs supplied to Government hospitals, malpractices and pilferage of medicines from the Government hospital pharmacies.

Talking to Pharmabiz, T P Gopinathan, drug controller, Kerala, said though the move would cause increased workload of drug inspectors, it was aimed to prevent corruption and malpractices in Government hospital pharmacies. "Our drug inspectors used to visit Government hospital pharmacies only occasionally since we have lots of limitations in booking the offenders. Now onwards, we will be more vigilant and active," conceded the DC.

It is to be noted though drug officials have powers to check medicines wherever available, the drug enforcement mechanism of the State Government were refraining from strict monitoring of the Government run drug supply chain, due to various factors including shortage of adequate drug inspectors.

The state drug control department, with about 60 drug inspectors, regulates 97 drug manufacturing firms, 127 blood banks, 46 cosmetic manufacturing units, 18 homeopathic manufacturing units, 892 Ayurveda drug manufacturers, besides 12,480 allopathic drugs sales premises and 668 homeo sales premises.

Medicines for Government hospitals in Kerala are procured by the Central Purchasing Committee (CPC) of the Health Department, consisting of members like health director, DME, drug controller etc. Since the state procures medicines through the tender process with rules favouring the least quoted order, it is natural to find cheap and substandard drugs in Government hospitals, say some sources.

Though CPC appoints committees to verify the efficacy and quality of the tenderers through sample verifications at the time of purchase and tendering process, lack of a vigilant mechanism to monitor the drug supply was one of the major reasons for substandard drugs finding place in hospital pharmacies, note sources.