Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, 2nd August: Punjab’s Food and Drugs Administration in order to curb the menace of spurious and substandard animal drugs carried a statewide joint raids in 6 districts of Punjab Amrisar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jaladhar, Ludhiana and Moga by deputing cross district teams of Drugs Inspectors and Zonal Licensing authorities on Saturday. Punjab’s Health & Family Welfare Minister, Sh Surjit K. Jyani, had earlier given directions to the officers of the Drug Administration to deal sternly with such violators.
Giving information in this regard, Sh Hussan Lal, Commissioner Food & Drug Administration informed that 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 i.e. Ludhiana, 54 samples from 9 Drugs Sale Shops; Amritsar 33 samples from 9 Drugs Sale Shops & 10 samples from 2 Manufacturing Units; Jalandhar 20 samples from 6 Drugs Sale Shops; Moga 11 samples from 3 Drugs Sale Shops & 6 samples from 1 Manufacturing Unit; Gurdaspur 12 samples from 4 Drugs Sale Shops; Hoshiarpur 7 samples from 2 Drugs Sale Shops & 4 samples from 1 Manufacturing Unit. These samples have been sent for analysis to the state drug testing laboratory.
Sh Hussan Lal revealed that as per the national data, the segment of animal drugs is of more than Rs 10 Crore annually and is growing fast. Some nefarious elements dealing in manufacturing of animal drugs started indulging in manufacture, sale and supply of substandard drugs. Even last month (on 8th July) 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 percent substance against 750 mg per injection, which was alarming. It appeared from the results that some manufacturers and traders are intentionally involved in this clandestine activity for the purpose of extorting money.
In light of the adverse lab reports, the Food & Drugs Administration Punjab planned a focused campaign to weed out spurious and sub-standard animal drugs from the market, as part of which 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. Injections of Oxytetracycline, Enorfloxacin, Gentamycin, Dexamethasone and Ivermectin were also included in the strategic list.
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. This exercise to catch the violators will continue in future, too in order to ensure availability of safe and efficacious animal drugs.
