With continuous inspections, surprise raids and penal actions, the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) in Tamil Nadu has brought down the rate of movement of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs to four per cent in the last one year.

Out of the 8756 number of samples tested in 2014-15 (till last month), only 387 were declared as NSQ within 12 months time, according to a data issued to Pharmabiz by the DC office.

During the last 12 months period, prosecutions were launched against 45 companies for manufacture and sale of NSQ drugs, and two cases were filed against contraventions under DPCO. For indulging in other contraventions under D&C Act 1940 and Rules 1945, the department has launched 387 prosecutions.

In the corresponding period in 2013-14, the NSQ rate was five per cent. During this period, a total of 6163 samples were tested and 311 were declared as not-of-standard-quality. The figure had marked one per cent increase compared to the previous year’s (2012-13) data when four per cent was the rate of NSQ. In the tests conducted during this period, 210 were found without standard quality. The highest NSQ rate registered in last five years was in 2011-12 period, seven per cent. With strong measures by the DCA, the amount of NSQ drugs was reduced to 4 per cent by this year.

This is a big advantage due to various enforcement programmes introduced by the department all over the state, according to the director of drugs control, S. Abdul Khadar.

To prevent the movement of NSQ, spurious, banned and theft drugs, the administration has introduced SMS alert services at the 14 zonal offices from where instant information would be disseminated to all the drugs inspectors. One mobile squad was launched in Madurai to keep vigil over the movement of NSQs and spurious, and a special intelligence wing is operating in Chennai.

In addition to this, special teams have been formed to detect all kinds of contraventions under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Drugs Price Control Order and Drugs and Magic Remedies (DMROA) Act.

In order to strengthen the operations of the 14 zonal assistant directors and 146 drugs inspectors, the DCA, under deputy director, S.Sivabalan, is reviewing the performances once in three months. This initiative is mainly to encourage the drug inspectors to achieve their targets for inspection and sampling. For educating the common man about the do’s and don’ts while purchasing drugs, the department, synchronizing all its zonal offices, conducts consumer awareness programmes, displaying banners and distributing pamphlets. By continuous sample collection, the department is keeping strict vigil over the movement of spurious drugs, and till last month, spurious drugs worth Rs. 25000 were seized and two cases were filed before the court.

“Our primary objective is to ensure the availability of quality drugs at correct prices without any short supply to the consumers by enforcing the provisions of various drugs acts. We are also prepared to safeguard the interests of the common public from misleading advertisements related to incurable ailments by strict enforcement of the provisions of DMROA, 1954”, said the director.