A case of selling date expired drug to parents of a 13 months old baby in Idukki district in Kerala for treating incessant vomiting has brought to fore the negligent practice of a private hospital pharmacy in supplying out-dated medicines to patients.

The drug control office of the district filed a case before the first class judicial magistrate court at Kattappana in Idukki for violation of Rule 65 of the Drugs & Cosmetics (D&C) Rules against the hospital pharmacy.

According to drug inspector C V Mahesh Kumar, the hospital pharmacy at the St Johns speciality Hospital at Kattappana supplied Domstal suspension (syrup for infants) to a 13 months old child who was suffering from continuous vomiting. The doctor in the hospital prescribed Domstal drops for the child whose parents bought it from the pharmacy of the hospital.

The drug inspector said he got a complaint from the parents of the child that the drug supplied to them was date expired. The expired date printed on the label was June 2013. The hospital had supplied the bottles of syrup on two days (July 18 and 19) to the parents of the patient. The batch number of the drug is ending with 035 and was manufactured by Torrent Pharmaceuticals, said Mahesh Kumar.

On receiving complaints from the parents, the drug control authorities conducted immediate raid at the hospital pharmacy and seized all the stock of Domstal suspension. The officials also took custody of the purchase bill, computerized records, data saved in the computer, the op ticket and case sheet of the patient from the hospital. They produced all the documents before the court as evidence of treatment and purchase of medicine from the hospital.

The drug inspector said the hospital pharmacy was procuring medicines from the wholesaler, Vadathu Pharma located at Thodupuzha.

Sources from the drug control department said violation of Rule 65 is liable for punishment of seven to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs.3 lakhs.