Karnataka drugs control department has seized 20 not-of-standard quality drugs  from chemists and druggist outlets and has informed the manufacturers responsible for its production.

The department’s enforcement wing in the last week laid its hands on wide range of drugs which were picked up from the pharmacy outlets in the state at random. These drugs were then tested at the department's drug test labs in Bengaluru and Bellary.

The seized drugs belonged to companies namely Ciprolin TZ manufactured by Francis Remedies at Haridwar, Ulcicap-D containing Omeprazole Magnesium and Domperidone tablets of Symbiosis Pharmaceuticals in Himachal Pradesh, Entap –D by Kaizen Pharmaceuticals from Solan of the Baddi district in Himachal  Pradesh, Siprol by Avyukt Pharmaceuticals in Himachal Pradesh, ROPPI-D of DM Pharma in Solan at Baddi district, novel premium wet tissues of Novel Tissues in Hootagali Industrial Area in Mysore, Dart and Paracetamol with  Propyphenazone and Caffeine tablets by Juggat Pharma in Bengaluru were found to be not of standard quality.

On July 2, the department went on to issue another list with drugs such as P-Dex containing Dexamethasone  Sodium Phosphate injection manufactured by SVP Lifesciences  at Dehradun in Uttarkhand, Staph-AC with Amoxicillin and Dicolaxacillin capsules by Vanguard Laboratories also located at  Dehradun in Uttarkhand, Offmark-Oz containing Ofloxacin and Ornidazole tablets manufactured by JB Remedies in Roorkee at Haridwar district, Dorflox-OR by DM Pharma in Baddi, Ibugesic-400 manufactured by Cipla at its unit in Sirinagar at Vijayawada, Chloraxin injection containing Chlorpheniramine for veterinary use manufactured by Zoetis India at Haridwar, Multicon injection which is a multivitamin manufactured by Rayan Laboratories in Haridwar at Uttarkhand, Glozic Soap by Om Healthcare, Ahmedabad, Meriquin Vet with is an Enrofloxacin injection by Stanex Drugs and Chemicals at Hyderabad, RABFIT-DSR manufactured by DM Pharma at Baddi and Dibaymox  which contains Amoxicillin with Dicloacillin capsules manufactured by Athens Labs at Sirmour District in Himachal Pradesh.

The drugs are declared not-of-standard quality when their active ingredients are below 70 per cent for thermo labile products and below 5 per cent of the permitted limits for thermo stable products. In the case of tablets and capsules, it is when they  fail in disintegration and dissolutions tests.

While the drugs control department has informed all the manufacturers who have been responsible for the production of these drugs, it has also alerted all medical practitioners, hospitals and nursing homes to refrain from prescribing these drugs and remove them from its pharmacies.  The general public who purchase drugs over-the-counter have also been cautioned on the not-of-standard quality drugs list.

According to Raghurama Bhandary, drugs controller, government of Karnataka, the inspections are part of our department’s schedule to ensure that quality drugs are in circulation. If the drugs which are not-of-standard quality are prescribed it will not have the desired benefits of  treating conditions.