DDA inspectors had collected 126 suspected medicine brands from the market last fiscal year and sent to the lab for inspection.[break] The lab has so far examined 90 medicines.
"Among 90, 16 were found substandard," Shyam Kumar Adhikari, a DDA inspector said. He claimed that the DDA has issued recall order immediately after the drugs were found to be defective.
Among the substandard drugs 11 were manufactured by Indian companies and five by Nepali company.
According to the DDA, micro-organisms were found in the sodium chloride injection manufactured by Denish Chem Lab India. Sodium chloride injection is a saline. Likewise, Injection Ringer Lactate saline manufactured by Parenteral Drug India was also found to be defective.
Nepali pharmaceutical companies do not manufacture saline so they are imported from India. The DDA has prohibited Nepal Drugs Limited (NDL) from producing saline since the past two years saying NDL facility does not meet WHO standard.
Several other Nepali companies that do not meet WHO standards have however not been banned from producing other drugs.
Likewise, bacteria was detected in eight different Ayurverdic powder produced by Dabur India Limited and Shree Baidyanath Private Limited India. Bacteria was found in Pushyamug —hurna [powder] produced —y Dabur India Limited. Similarly, Avipattikar Churna and Lavan Bhaskar Churna produced by Dabur were also found contaminated with bacteria.
Avipattikar Churna produced by Shree Baidyanath Pvt. Ltd was also found contaminated with bacteria. Chopchinyadi Churna, Ashwagandhadi Churna, Trifala Churna, Sitopaladi Churna of the same company were also found to be contaminated.
Likewise, Cefdox 50 dry syrup produced by Curex Pharmaceuticals Nepal was found substandard. The DDA said black particles were found in the medicine. Aten-A tablets produced by Lomus Pharmaceuticals Nepal were also found substandard.
Likewise, Tussinol-D syrup produced by GD Pharmaceuticls Nepal, Bico-Z syrup produced by S R Drug Laboratories, Aglozyme syrup produced by Aglomed Ltd India and Hamro syrup of Sumy Pharmaceutical Nepal also did not meet standard. The DDA said foreign particles were found in those medicines.
Related story
Herbal medicines winning trust of people in Baglung
