Officials of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today raided medical shops in six districts of Punjab and drew over 157 samples to curb the menace of spurious and substandard animal drugs.
Raids were conducted at Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jaladhar, Ludhiana and Moga.
A total of 157 samples of various drugs formulations manufactured by local and other states manufacturing units had been taken for test and analysis from various locations, said Punjab FDA Commissioner Hussan Lal.
These samples were sent for analysis to the state drug testing laboratory, he said.
Stating that animal drugs segment was more than Rs 10 crore per annum, Lal said some "nefarious elements" dealing in manufacturing of animal drugs started indulging in manufacture, sale and supply of substandard drugs.
Even last month, FDA conducted statewide joint raids and seized 77 samples of various brands of 'Hydroxy-progesteron', 'Caproate' injection for animal use.
Upon their test and analysis by the state government laboratory, 6 drugs sample found to be containing zero per cent substance against 750 mg per injection, which was alarming, he said.
It appeared from the results that some manufacturers and traders are intentionally involved in this "clandestine" activity for the purpose of "extorting money", he said.
In light of the adverse lab reports, the FDA Punjab planned a focused campaign to weed out spurious and sub-standard animal drugs from the market.
As part of the campaign, outlets of costly and fast moving animal drugs suspected to be spurious or sub-standard were identified and regulatory officers were directed to draw samples of targeted group of sterile dry powder injections like Betalactams, Cephalosporins, their fixed dose combinations with Sulbactam, Tazobactam & Potassium clavunate, the FDA official said.
Injections of Oxytetracycline, Enorfloxacin, Gentamycin, Dexamethasone and Ivermectin were also included in the strategic list, he said.
The Commissioner stated that the manufacturers or traders found involved in manufacture, sale and supply of spurious and substandard drugs will be dealt with heavy hands as per law and offenders will not be spared at any cost.
