Regular checks, scrupulous regulators needed

That of the 76 pharmaceutical companies inspected by the drug regulators under a special drive against firms red-flagged for producing substandard drugs, a whopping 47 (nearly 62 per cent) have been found criminally erring speaks volumes of the manufacturing practices of this industry. While the stringent action, including the cancellation of the licences of 18 manufacturers and issuance of show-cause notices to 26, should act as a deterrent, a clean-up of the tainted sector would require regular inspections by the authorities and zero tolerance for any compromise with the quality of pills and potions produced.

Notably, in view of a number of cases of tragic deaths of patients or botched treatments due to the consumption of spurious medicines in the past couple of years, The Tribune has been exposing, in a series of reports, the malpractices allegedly indulged in by various firms in the pharma hub of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. However, reflecting a sad state of affairs is the fact that it is only the global blow dealt to the Indian pharma industry that has shaken up the authorities to launch this nationwide crackdown. It was triggered by three cases that put a question mark on the quality of exported drugs — the deaths of around 70 children in the Gambia (linked to a Sonepat-based unit), the deaths of children in Uzbekistan (involving a Noida company) and blindness caused by bad-quality eye drops (from a Tamil Nadu firm). But if it also prevents recurrence of domestic tragedies, such as the deaths of infants in Udhampur due to contaminated medicine in 2022, it would be a worthwhile case of being better late than never.

Equally under the scanner should be the drug control and regulatory authorities as the crisis wreaked by spurious drugs that play havoc with the lives and health of patients is compounded by their laxity. Rather than scrupulously adhering to the exacting standards, the system smacks of inefficiency and corruption in the processes involving clearances to manufacturers and checks on quality. Timely hauling up of all involved is the key to preventing avoidable loss of life and limb.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/editorials/clean-up-of-pharma-firms-492398