For failure in quality test carried out on samples drawn by the enforcement wing of Kerala drugs control department in 2017, the department prosecuted 12 north Indian pharma companies for manufacturing and selling not-of-standard-quality (NSQ) drugs. All the cases are pending with various courts in the state.

In addition to this, the regulatory body has slapped seven Ayurveda drug manufacturing companies with fines to the tune of Rs.4 lakhs for giving fake advertisements, said Revi S Menon, drugs controller, Kerala.

The drug inspectors have picked up 9,000 samples at random checks, and out of this, 145 samples were failed in quality test. All these medicines were mostly manufactured in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, New Delhi and other parts of north India. He said, different from other states, Kerala drugs control department is able to bring out the results of the samples which are sent to the well equipped laboratories functioning in Kochi and in the state capital, he claimed.

According to Menon, no drugs manufactured in Tamil Nadu were found to be either NSQ or spurious.

Regarding seizure, the DC said a total of Rs.22 lakhs worth not-of-standard-quality drugs were seized from various medical shops across the state. All these medicines were of different categories for common use.

Regarding enforcement in pharmacies, he said very few cases were taken in 2017 against pharmacy owners for violation of Rule 65 (2) which mandates supervision of pharmacists while dispensing drugs, as per D&C Rules. He pointed out that unlike other states, most of the medical stores in Kerala were operating under the supervision of qualified and registered pharmacists. Last year, the department filed only three cases against medical shop owners for absence of pharmacists during work time.

The drugs control administration has sent a request to the government for initiating steps for strengthening the department by appointing sufficient staffs including drug inspectors. Currently there are vacancies for 12 drug inspectors and the number is likely to increase soon following retirement of senior staff. His office has asked for 15 posts of drug inspectors.

According to him, the drug law enforcing wing in Kerala is working hard to ensure that quality drugs are supplied to each pharmacy outlets all over the state.