Karnataka’s Drug Control Authorities conducted their routine quality checks in May and found 15 batches of medicines to be substandard. Concerned about public health, officials have issued an urgent alert advising people to avoid using these medicines.
Defects Found in Patient Injections:
The list notably includes three batches of Ringer’s Lactate (Compound Sodium Lactate) injection, widely used in hospitals. These batches were manufactured by Ultra Laboratories (Hassan), Tom Bron Pharma (Madhya Pradesh), and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals India (Ahmedabad). These injections play a critical role in maintaining the body’s fluid balance, especially in intensive care units. Quality issues in such essential medicines raise serious concerns.
Dosage Errors in Common Medicines:
Paracetamol tablets (Pomol 650) supplied by Aban Pharmaceuticals have also been flagged and added to the Non-Standard Quality (NSQ) list. Quality defects were found in other medicines as well, including MITO Q7 syrup for children (Bion Therapeutics India), Sterile Diluent used in vaccines (Safe Parenterals), Spnflox-OZ tablets for bacterial infections (Indorama Healthcare), and Pantocoat-DAR tablets for digestive ailments (Swefn Pharmaceuticals).
Other Medicines and Cosmetic Products:
Diabetes control tablets Glimiz-2 (KNM Pharma), Iron Sucrose Injection for anemia treatment (Regen Laboratories), and vitamin/nutrient combination tablets containing Alpha Lipoic Acid, Folic Acid, Methylcobalamin, Vitamin B6 & D3 (East African India) were also inspected and found substandard. Additionally, a batch of Kumkum manufactured by the renowned Mysore-based N. Ranga Rao & Sons Pvt. Ltd. was included in the defective product list.
Strong Public Warning:
Several of these companies have reportedly faced quality issues before, raising questions about public health safety. Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has issued a stern warning, advising the public to avoid these medicines and products. Hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies are urged to report any stock of these batches immediately to local drug inspectors. Failure to comply will result in strict legal action.