Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance Concerned Over Misrepresentation of Drug Alert Report
The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) has recently expressed concerns about the misrepresentation of facts by certain media outlets regarding a drug alert report issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
Misleading Coverage
Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of the IPA, stated that the terms ‘Not of Standard Quality’ (NSQ) and ‘Spurious’ are being incorrectly used interchangeably. This misleading coverage unfairly implicates genuine manufacturers in the production of spurious drugs, damaging India’s reputation as a reliable supplier of medicines.
Importance of Differentiation
Jain emphasized the need to clearly differentiate between NSQ and spurious drugs. The IPA will continue to work with the government to strengthen the system and implement stringent measures against spurious drugs.
CDSCO’s Drug Alert
The CDSCO releases a monthly list of over 50 medicine samples that have failed its quality tests. These samples are categorized as NSQ but are not considered life-threatening. The latest report flagged drugs including paracetamol, Pan-D, calcium and vitamin D3 supplements, and anti-diabetic pills as NSQ.
Some drug batches failed the dissolution test according to the Indian Pharmacopoeia, while others failed the assay and water tests. Additionally, some were identified as spurious or having issues with uniformity of volume.
Doubts Revealed
Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) -: The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) is a group of big medicine-making companies in India. They work together to make sure medicines are safe and good quality.
Misrepresentation -: Misrepresentation means showing something in a wrong or false way. In this case, it means some media outlets are giving wrong information about the drug alert report.
Drug Alert Report -: A drug alert report is a document that tells people about medicines that might not be safe or good quality. It helps keep everyone informed about which medicines to avoid.
Sudarshan Jain -: Sudarshan Jain is the Secretary General of the IPA. He is a leader who helps guide the IPA and speaks on its behalf.
Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) -: Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) means that a medicine does not meet the required quality standards. It might not work as well as it should.
Spurious drugs -: Spurious drugs are fake medicines. They might look like real medicines but can be harmful because they don’t have the right ingredients.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) -: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is a government agency in India. They make sure that medicines and medical devices are safe and good quality.