Poor-quality medications are silent killers

New Delhi/Bhopal: Poor-quality medications are silent killers since they appear to be real. Poor-quality medications prolong sickness, cause side effects, and increase drug resistance, causing more illness and deaths, especially in youngsters.

In its latest monthly medicine warning list, the Central Pharmaceuticals Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) listed 53 drugs as “Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) Alert,” including paracetamol.
The 53 best-selling pharmaceuticals that failed the drug regulator’s quality assessment include Shelcal, Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C softgels, antiacid Pan- D. Paracetamol tablets 500 mg. Glimepiride, Telmisartan and others.

Many commonly used medicines find a place in this dubious list. Drugs to treat hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, as well as antibiotics, have failed to pass the scrutiny of CDSCO. This is both unfortunate and risky. It has the potential to harm many patients, leading to adverse effects as well as a lack of efficacy.

The “substandard” rating does not mean the drugs are intrinsically harmful, but by being ineffective and failing to treat or control ailments, can be fatal.

The use of substandard medicines to treat high blood pressure and sugars can lead to poor control, increasing the risk of heart attack. Poor quality antibiotics can worsen infection.

The Indian government takes great pride in calling India the “Pharmacy of the World”, thanks to its manufacture of generic medicines. But the list of substandard drugs tells a different story.

———————————————

*Dr. Narresh Purohit-MD, DNB, DIH, MHA, MRCP(UK), is an Epidemiologist, and Advisor-National Communicable Disease Control Program of Govt. of India, Madhya Pradesh and several state organizations.)

Dr. Purohit is also an Executive Member- Federation of Hospital Administrator.