Latest news with #KarnatakaFoodSafetyandDrugAdministration
Hans India
7 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
FSDA suspends 133 drug licences, cancels 20 in June
Bengaluru: Enforcement officers of the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration department have suspended 133 drug licences and cancelled 20 drug licences in June for violations of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, officials said on Friday. The move was initiated after the officials concerned conducted 2,544 inspections over the last month, they said. According to the department, drug-testing laboratories in Bengaluru, Hubballi and Ballari analysed 1,333 samples in June. Among those, 1,292 samples were declared as 'Standard Quality' and 41 as 'Not of Standard Quality'. From April to June, the enforcement officers filed a total of 81 cases in courts against firms that violated the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules thereunder, the department said. The department has ensured that 'Not of Standard Quality' drugs worth more than Rs 40 lakh were recalled from the market and seized. A special drive was conducted across the blood centres in the state and a total of 122 such centres were inspected. Based on the various violations observed, show-cause notices were issued to 44 blood centres and compliance letters were issued to 80 blood centres,' the department said in a statement. According to the statement, in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, food safety, quality and hygiene aspects were inspected across the state, covering 1,557 street-food vendors, in June. Notices were issued to 406 establishments where violations were identified and fines totalling Rs 44,500 were imposed on the spot, the statement added.
Mint
25-06-2025
- Health
- Mint
Karnataka warns people against 14 ‘substandard' drugs; directs sellers not to stock or sell THESE medicines
The Karnataka government declared 14 drugs manufactured by different companies 'substandard' on Wednesday, 25 June 2025, and warned people against the public consumption of the same, reported the news agency PTI. The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration department ordered the chemists, wholesalers, doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes not to keep stock of these drugs, and also directed against selling or usage of these medicines and cosmetics, according to the agency report citing the official statement. 'In case they hold any stock, they are requested to inform the concerned area Drugs Inspector or Assistant Drugs Controller. The public is also advised not to use these drugs or cosmetics,' said the FSDA department, according to the agency report. 1. Compound sodium lactate injection IP (Ringer-Lactate solution for injection) — Manufactured by Ultra Laboratories (batch no: KI124110) and Tam Bran Pharmaceuticals. 2. Pomol-650 (Paracetamol tablets I P 650 mg) by Aban Pharmaceuticals (batch no: 13-4536). 3. MITO Q7 Syrup by Bion Therapeutics India (batch no: CHS-40170). These are among the 14 drugs which were marked as 'substandard' by the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration department on Wednesday, 25 June 2025. The department also requested strict compliance to be imposed on these companies and drugs to safeguard public health, reported the news agency. According to Mint's earlier report, India is aiming to give a significant boost to its production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for drug manufacturing to reduce the nation's pharma sector dependence on China imports. The updated PLI scheme will include more molecules used in manufacturing key starting materials (KSMs), drug intermediates, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), according to the 3 June 2025 report citing official communication. Details on such incentives as allocation, capacity, and incentive ceiling for the upgraded drug PLI scheme are being worked on, according to the Mint's report, citing a department official.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Chemists' association demands high-level enforcement task force to act against counterfeit drug networks
Drawing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's attention to the escalating crisis of counterfeit medicines in Karnataka, the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association (BDCDA) has demanded that a high-level enforcement task force be set up to conduct Statewide operations against spurious drug networks. In a letter to the Chief Minister, the chemists' body has said there is an urgent need for a dedicated team led by senior IPS officers and enforcement officials from the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration to conduct Statewide operations against counterfeit drug networks. Global reputation Lauding the government for its decision to recall not-of-standard quality (NSQ) drugs from end points, BDCDA president B. Thirunavukkarasu said the menace of counterfeit drugs not only endangers the lives of our citizens but also tarnishes India's global reputation in the pharmaceutical trade and inflicts significant economic damage. 'Recent reports indicate a 50% surge in counterfeit medicines post-COVID-19 pandemic, attributed to factors such as consumer preference for discounted drugs, inadequate government vigilance, and lenient prohibitive laws,' he said. 'The recall of NSQ drugs addresses only a fraction of the problem. The root issue lies in the unchecked manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit medicines. Notably, Karnataka has flagged 26 medicines as misbranded or spurious, consumed for common problems such as acidity, pain relief, and for cholesterol control. However, the absence of widespread seizures in the State does not imply the non-existence of counterfeit drugs. It highlights potential gaps in detection and enforcement,' Mr. Thirunavukkarasu said. Pointing out that Karnataka's Health Minister has acknowledged the acute shortage of drug inspectors in the State, with only eight out of 112 sanctioned posts filled, he said, 'This shortfall hampers effective surveillance and enforcement against counterfeit drug operations. To address this, we propose the formation of a high-level task force led by IPS officers, in collaboration with enforcement officers from the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration. Such a team will be instrumental in conducting Statewide search and seizure operations, ensuring stringent punishment of culprits involved in the counterfeit drug trade.' Breach of QR code security The letter, also addressed to the Health and Home Ministers apart from the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Health), pointed out that the integrity of QR codes, introduced as an anti-counterfeiting measure, has been compromised. Reports indicate that counterfeiters have successfully replicated functional QR codes on fake medicine packages, rendering the current authentication system ineffective. This breach poses a significant threat to consumer safety and undermines trust in pharmaceutical products, the letter stated. 'Our observations suggest a disturbing trend of unauthorised supplies infiltrating Karnataka through semi-wholesalers, procuring agents, and sub-stockists. These entities are instrumental in supplying counterfeit medicines to unregulated e-commerce and quick commerce platforms, exacerbating the spread of fake drugs.' The chemists' body has also demanded that the online sale of medicines be temporarily suspended until a robust and enforceable regulatory mechanism is established.
