CDSCO Flags Spurious and Substandard Drugs in Nationwide Quality Check
In a routine but critical surveillance exercise, India’s apex drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), has identified four spurious drug batches and flagged 194 drug samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) for February 2026. The findings highlight ongoing concerns around drug quality and unauthorized manufacturing in the country’s vast pharmaceutical supply chain.
According to the regulator, the spurious drugs include commonly used medications such as amoxycillin and potassium clavulanate tablets, prescribed widely as antibiotics, and ursodeoxycholic acid tablets, used in liver and gallbladder disorders. In addition, two batches of antibacterial creams used for treating skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis were also found to be spurious. These drugs were identified across multiple regions, including northern states, Delhi, and Assam, indicating that the issue is geographically dispersed.
A drug is classified as “spurious” when it is manufactured by unauthorized entities but sold under the brand name of legitimate pharmaceutical companies. In at least one case, the original manufacturer confirmed that the flagged batch was not produced by them, pointing to counterfeit production. Authorities have stated that investigations are ongoing, and action will be taken under the provisions of India’s Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Alongside the spurious drugs, CDSCO’s surveillance also flagged 194 samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ)—a classification used when medicines fail to meet prescribed benchmarks such as proper dissolution, accurate dosage, or uniform composition. These included widely used medications such as paracetamol, pantoprazole, multivitamins, as well as drugs for chronic conditions like telmisartan for hypertension and combinations of levocetirizine and montelukast for allergies. Several batches of diclofenac-based pain relievers were also found to fall short of quality standards.
Health authorities have emphasized that these quality failures are batch-specific and do not imply a broader issue with the drugs themselves or their manufacturers. “The failure is limited to the tested batches and does not warrant concern about other products in the market,” the Union Health Ministry clarified in its statement. Officials also reiterated that such surveillance exercises are conducted regularly through coordinated efforts between central and state laboratories to ensure drug safety and public trust.
The findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring in a country that is one of the world’s largest producers of generic medicines. While India’s pharmaceutical industry plays a vital global role, maintaining strict quality control and preventing counterfeit drugs remain ongoing challenges. For patients, the message remains clear: medicines are generally safe, but vigilance by regulators is essential to ensure that every batch meets the standards expected for effective and reliable treatment.
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