Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: A large number of pharmaceutical companies in the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector have been identified by the government as producing substandard drugs.
More than 65% of MSME firms have been found to be manufacturing drugs that are not of standard quality (NSQ), during risk-based inspections of pharma companies conducted since December last year, said a person with knowledge of the matter.
Out of the total MSME units inspected, 30% were issued stop production orders (SPO), the person cited above told Economic Times. “Samples of 68% MSME companies have failed. This is alarming,”the person said.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) along with state drug inspectors have been doing these inspections as part of a massive nationwide crackdown on spurious and substandard medicines. This followed controversy over alleged Made-in-India cough syrups being responsible for the deaths of children in Gambia.
Currently, Phase IV of the risk-based inspections is being conducted.