Increasing threats to life from fake medicines

Adulteration of medicines and trade in counterfeit medicines is such a disgusting and inhumane act that human life is in danger. The irony is that there are no quality control rules for drug manufacturing companies and the companies themselves verify the quality of their medicines. This is not right and certainly not at a time when awareness about the quality of medicines is increasing across the world. Since India is a big drug exporting country and is called the drug factory of the world, Indian drugs are exported all over the world, in such times, fake medicines are repeatedly busted or trade in fake medicines for incurable diseases like cancer. Getting exposed is not only a matter of concern, but a heinous crime. It also hurts India’s reputation. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to make reliable quality control rules for pharmaceutical companies and take strict action against those dealing in fake medicines.

Just a few days ago, factories producing fake allopathic medicines for incurable diseases like cancer were caught from Ghaziabad to Hyderabad? Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government has banned the sale of more than 22 fake or adulterated Ayurvedic medicines. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has busted a big racket of fake medicines related to cancer. The Supreme Court has expressed strong displeasure while hearing the petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurveda. The time has come to ensure solid monitoring of the drug testing system of the companies involved in the manufacturing of Ayurvedic medicines. It is necessary that reliable and strict quality control rules are made for pharmaceutical companies. The scope of these rules should cover the medicines exported as well as the medicines sold in the country, because while the export of fake and poor quality medicines tarnishes India’s reputation, their use in the country puts people’s lives in danger. He comes.

It is certain that Ayurveda has a very rich medical system in our country and crores of people have benefited from this system. There is no dispute or opposition to the modern medical system (Allopathy) or the IMA on this matter, the problem is about baselessly challenging the modern medical system that stands the test of authenticity and misleading people. The ultimate objective of both these systems of professionals and medicines is to make the patients healthy. But unfortunately, in both the systems, some greedy businessmen play with the health of helpless people through fake medicines. In cases of life saving medicines, there is no chance to change the medicine, adulteration here directly kills you. This immorality and inauthenticity going on in the pharmaceutical business is disturbing.

Adulteration is a big anomaly and tragedy of business. The mixture of water in milk, vegetable ghee or fat in pure ghee, cheap and inferior grains in expensive and superior grains etc. is generally called adulteration or adulteration. But even without mixing, pure food can be distorted or harmful and its nutritional value can be reduced. Extracting some part of butter from milk and selling it as pure milk, or drying and reselling once used tea leaves without essence are examples of adulteration. Similarly, it is a crime to declare an inferior product pure and of special quality without any adulteration, give it an attractive name with false claims and deceive the public through tempting advertisements. Patanjali Ayurved Sansthan has been earning huge profits by doing just this. In fact, the entire issue of Patanjali’s misleading advertisements is a big matter in itself, the nature of its consequences, especially in the case of medicines, makes it more serious. In such a situation, the court has also made serious comments on the attitude of the Central and State Governments, the irony is that the IMA which has taken refuge in the court against the misleading advertisement of Patanjali Ayurveda and the high-handedness of its top officials. But the question is that in how many such cases does IMA exercise such awareness. The court has once again expressed in its comments that no matter how influential someone is, the glory of the law is supreme.

More than one fatal and ironic situation is emerging in the pharmaceutical business. Now the dangerous business of unscientific mixing of chemicals in allopathy medicines to make Ayurvedic medicines provide immediate relief is in the news, which is becoming a matter of serious concern. In Madhya Pradesh, the Food and Drug Administration Department has raided medicine shops in the capital and surrounding cities and seized Ayurvedic medicines worth Rs 8 crore 23 lakh, which were claimed to have miraculous powers to fight diseases. Investigation has revealed that illegal formula has been developed by mixing allopathy medicines Diclofenic and Aceclofenic in Ayurvedic medicines Vatahari Vati and Chanda Vati, which the drug dealers were selling in different parts of the country by calling it magical. Both the above chemicals are used as pain relievers in allopathy. According to doctors, the immediate effect of this formula may seem miraculous but the long-term consequences are fatal. It can have permanent side effects on the liver, kidney and other stomach organs.

Recently, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued a notification saying that from June 1, cough syrup exporters will be required to get their products tested in designated government laboratories before sending them abroad. But this is not enough to control adulteration of drugs and counterfeit drug products. It is true that the Directorate General of Foreign Trade took a necessary step in the case of cough syrup, but such a step should be taken in the case of all exported medicines. It is not only about the medicines being exported, but also about the fake and adulterated medicines being used in the country. It cannot be ignored that some time ago it was revealed that a defect was found in the eye drops sent to America by an Indian pharmaceutical company. The question is, why is this new rule applying only to cough syrups? Is it because last year, defects were found in cough syrups sent to Indian pharmaceutical companies in Gambia and Uzbekistan? The World Health Organization also claimed the death of some children due to cough syrup exported by Indian companies to these countries. Although this claim was challenged by the Government of India, it is natural and also sad that doubt has arisen in some countries of the world regarding the quality of cough syrup exported from the country. It is clear that India will have to make every possible effort to save the reputation of its pharmaceutical industry. Just as the Directorate General of Foreign Trade became active in the matter of export of cough syrup, similarly the Drug Controller General should also ensure that no questions arise regarding the quality of medicines manufactured in the country. To crack down on the business of adulterated medicines, the Health Ministry has launched a large-scale campaign for the first time in the country, its results are likely to be known soon. Recently, the Health Ministry has also signed an MoU with the UK to maintain the quality of medicines.

– Lalit Garg