The Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC) has blacklisted nine pharmaceutical companies for providing sub-standard and spurious medicines to the government hospitals in the state.

The APMSIDC has blacklisted products manufactured by nine pharmaceutical companies which include Cipco Pharmaceuticals, Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hindustan Pharmaceuticals, Vital Health Care (P) Ltd., Jackson Laboratories (P) Ltd., The Swastik Pharmaceuticals, EuroKem Laboratories (P) Ltd., Agron Remedies (P) Ltd., and Bengal Chemicals.

The medicinal products which have been banned from the respective pharma companies include, injection Verclov 1.2gm (amoxycillin+clavulanic acid) with batch number 3401410 from Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Tablet Dicycomine HCL 10mg, with batch number CT-91201 from Cipco Pharmaceuticals, Etophylline and Theophylline injection with batch number 426 from Hindustan Pharmaceuticals, Prednisolone Acetate Opthalmic suspension USP with batch number V9094 from Vital Health care (P) Ltd., Pentasol Injection with batch number I.P.B NO.1-3236 from Jackson Laboratories and ciprofloxacin tablet 250mg with batch number 0578002 from Bengal chemicals. Similarly, Povidone Iodine solution with batch number 2667, Nifidifine Tablet I.P 10mg with batch number F62 and Diclofenac Sodium tablet with batch numberDDF-35 were blacklisted from the Swastik Pharmaceuticals, Eurokem Laboratories and Agron Remedies respectively.

If unchecked these substandard drugs would have otherwise landed up in government hospitals. The medicines and injections blacklisted are meant for common ailments such as hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, surgical site disinfectants, anti-inflammatory and other antibiotics.

“We have already issued show cause notices to the pharma companies. Most of the firms did not bother to clarify within the stipulated one week time given to them. Therefore the particular products from the respective companies have been blacklisted. As per our rules, if any two products form the same company fail the quality test, then we blacklist the company altogether,” said, J Syamala Rao, MD, APMSIDC.

As APMSIDC is the procuring agency, it sends the samples of medicines procured to four laboratories in the country for quality testing. As part of this exercise the Corporation found substandard medicines which otherwise would have landed in government hospitals. “Our agenda is to supply superior medicines to hospitals and we are strictly imposing quality control measures,” said Rao.

In the event of rising incidences of spurious and sub-standard drugs, there is a need to establish more medicine testing centres in India. So far, there are only 4 such sophisticated medicine testing centres in the country. To meet the growing demand at least 10 more testing laboratories are needed to ensure supply of quality medicines and reduce the flow of spurious and substandard drugs in the market and hospitals, opined the MD.