The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is launching a special drive to assure the quality of medicines manufactured across the country, following an instruction from the Union Health Ministry.

The CDSCO has already instructed the State Drug Controllers to direct the drug inspectors to collect the samples and send for regular testing. It has also asked them to keep the headquarters posted about the matter periodically.

“During the briefing at the Minister's office on the spurious/ substandard/ expired drugs issue, it has been decided that the drug samples from the manufacturing sites located at various manufacturing hubs/ clusters/ locations falling under your jurisdiction may be collected and got tested for their quality at the drug testing laboratories of CDSCO,” said a letter by the DCGI Dr G N Singh sent to all zonal and sub-zonal offices of the agency.

“In view of the above, you are hereby directed to make arrangement along with the drug inspectors under your zone for drawing of samples from the manufacturing sites under your jurisdiction and send to the Central Drug Testing Laboratories for prompt testing. This special drive shall be completed within a period of six to nine months,” it said.

Meanwhile, the number of spurious and adulterated drugs went up during the last fiscal year compared to the previous year. The officers under the CDSCO took a total of 48082 samples from the markets during 2011-12 and out of them, 133 were tested spurious or adulterated against 95 found to be spurious during 2010-11.

As many as 2186 samples were found to be of not-standard quality and legal action was initiated against 211. As the monitoring and vigil was stepped up, 141 persons were arrested against 72 during the previous year, as per the statistics with the Ministry.

During 2010-11, a total of 49682 samples were collected and 2372 packs were found to be of not-standard quality. Prosecution was initiated against 167 persons. The officials conducted 1295 raids throughout the country.