Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found 44 drugs not-of-standard-quality during its inspection in March 2010. Most of the not-of-standard-quality drugs were from tax-holiday states Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. And every month, the number of sub-standard drug samples keeps increasing and firms from these two states have major share in this list.

According to the data released by the state FDA, 14 substandard drug samples were found from units in Himachal Pradesh, 11 were from Uttaranchal, ten from Maharashtra, three from Tamil Nadu, two from Andhra Pradesh, one from Pondichery, one from Punjab and one from Gujarat.

Among the list of not-of-standard-quality drugs, a well known company is Procter & Gamble Home Products with its skin cream, Olay Total Effect Normal SPF 15. Two drug samples of Endolabs of Madhya Pradesh were found faulty in February 2010 and March 2010. Products of Affy Pharma and Saar Biotech are also found to be substandard in the list..

One sample each of not-of standard quality drug were found from Acme Formulation, Affy Pharma, Anrose Pharma, Arion Healthcare, Celbrity Biopharma, Gene Biotech, GMH Labs, Gapish Pharma, Mehar Pharma, Meridian Medicare, Saar Biotech, Saichem Pharma, Shivek Labs and Unibiotech Nformulations in Himachal Pradesh. Three drug samples from Akums Drugs & Pharma, two drug samples from Alps Pharma; one sample each from Biocin Healthcare, Dutch Remedies, Hema Labs, Maxmed Lifesciences, Omega Biotech and Saint Micheal Biotech of Uttaranchal were found faulty.

One drug sample each from Maharashra's Ashpura Distributors & Suppliers, Procter & Gamble Home Products, Kaytross ACG Life Sciences, Ciron Drug & Pharma, Eskay Pharma, Glumex Pharma, Healthy Life Pharma, Medico Remidies, Pharmalink Labs and R K Pharma were not of standard quality. Arvind Remidies, Jeya Chitraa Textile and Palani Muthu Surgicals are the firms from Tamil Nadu whose one sample each were listed for non-compliance of standard quality. One sample of drug each from Gujarat's Ardor Drugs, Punjab's J B Herbal Pharmacy and Endolabs Ltd of Madhya Pradesh were listed as not-of standard quality.

The state FDA routinely picks up random samples of drugs from chemists and druggists and send for testing. The department will soon issue show cause notices to the companies.