The raising tide of spurious medicines in Tripura has turned up as a huge public health menace, only second in magnitude to a similar unfortunate situation in neighbouring West Bengal. Medicines that are often prescribed for gastro-enteric ailments, hypertension, diabetes, or some other most common conditions have reportedly failed to show therapeutic results. This dangerous trend is attributed to trade in counterfeit drugs by many pharmacies just for the sake of profits they reap. The increase in this undermined menace has been enabled by the so-called 'lax' drug control department of the state. These spurious drugs especially menace the old age group, some of whom generally have to take medicines daily.
The recent workshop titled "Drug Sampling, Investigation Techniques, and Prosecution Launch," conducted by office of the Deputy Drug Controller of Tripura, addressed this issue. According to Dr. Sanjib Debbarma, the Director of Health Services, the effect of spurious medicines and testing methodologies for checking efficacy of medicines were discussed. N.K. Ahuja, the former Haryana Drug Controller, revealed how to identify contaminated drugs. He reported that in Haryana, 1,950 samples were collected and through this screamingly large number, 3,589 medicines were analysed and licenses canceled for 154 pharmacies involving in this illegal distribution of spurious drugs. It was summed up by Drug Controller's office pledge to launch an all-India campaign for identification, seizure, and destruction of these adulterated medicines besides prosecution of their offenders.
This problem is not confined to Tripura. In December 2024, an important action was taken at the Assam-Tripura border, which resulted in the seizure of around Rs 5 crore-worth contraband cough syrup. ESKUF, a banned substance, was being transported under onion sacks.
In West Bengal too, authorities are stepping up the fight against distribution of spurious drugs. In a joint action by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the West Bengal Drugs Control Directorate, a raid at a wholesale firm in Kolkata led to the seizure of counterfeit anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and other medicines worth about Rs 6.6 crore. The tablets were labeled as made in several countries, including Ireland, Turkey, Bangladesh, and the USA, but there were no documents to prove that any were legitimately imported into India, casting further doubts upon their authenticity and safety.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Pragati Sakhuja/MSM)