New Delhi, March 27 AAP MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney raised the issue of spurious medicines on Friday and expressed serious concerns about the growing threat of substandard and counterfeit medicines in the country.
During the zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said the issue of manufacturing, selling, and distributing substandard drugs and medicines in India is a matter of serious concern.
Sahney demanded the establishment of the National Pharmaceutical Quality Authority to ensure uniform quality standards at the manufacturing and sale points.
He highlighted that last year, 203 pharmaceutical companies were found selling substandard and fortified drugs, and 36 per cent of the inspected drug factories were shut down, as they were not meeting quality standards.
Tests conducted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in 20 states found that 10 per cent more medicines were found to be of substandard quality, highlighted the AAP MP from Punjab.
The medicines included paracetamol, he said.
The majority of these companies were from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and were small and medium-sized firms.
There were reports of deaths of hundreds of children due to cough syrups, he said.
Sahney also added that last year, over 1,500 samples were confiscated by the drug controller, and some medicines were found to contain materials like chalk powder, etc.
He said that three lakh people die every year due to viral fever and the use of over-the-counter antibiotics, such as toffee and chocolates, without a prescription.
In January to June last year, 1,500 samples of spurious medicines were seized by the drug controller.
He stressed the urgent need to modernize and strengthen the Central Drug Controller (CDSCO).