Sub-standard antibiotics supplied

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 25: The antibiotics procured through Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL) and supplied to Government hospitals in the State last year have been found sub-standard.
The Amoxicillin Capsules and Ceftriazone Injection, procured by JKMSCL from a Himachal based Pharmaceutical Company last year has been withdrawn from Jammu province after the laboratory test report while in Kashmir and Ladakh regions the drugs are being given to the patients, thus risking their lives.
Controller of Stores, Provincial Medical Stores Jammu, Dr Kartar Chand, in a letter (COS/J/1497-1516 dated 24-01/2017 ) written to the Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents’ of the Hospitals in Jammu province has asked them to stop use of the antibiotics, and withdraw it from the stores as it has been found substandard.
These drugs were procured from Himachal Pradesh based company by JKMSCL and were supplied to the hospitals and drug stores across the State last year. “The General Manager-J(Adm) Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. Jammu vide their No: JKMSCL/GM/Adm./2017/drug-Alert/08 M/S Theon Pharmaceuticals Vill. Saini Majra Tehsil Nalagarh Solan (HP) supplied through JKMSCL has been declared as Not of Standard Quality because of reasons indicated against each”, read the letter written by Dr Chand.
The Controller of Stores, Jammu, has asked for return of unconsumed stock of these drugs to the Drug Ware Houses where from it was issued to them. “You are therefore requested to impress upon all the Block Medical Officers/ Health Institutions under your jurisdiction to whom the below drugs with said batches have been issued from this Drug Warehouse or others to stop immediately its use and direct them return the unconsumed stocks in their respective Drug Warehouse from where issued”, read the letter.
“Sample of Amoxicillin Capsules I.P 500 mg with bath No. BC 160005 M/D 04/2016 E/D 12/2017 fails in Assay of Amoxicillin, Ceftriazone Injection I.P 1.g with bath No. CFXM 16031 M/D 04/2016 E/D 03/2018 fails in Particulate Matter & Clarity of solution, Ceftriazone Injection I.P 500 m with bath No. 16002 M/D 04/2016 E/D 03/2017 fails in particulate Matter & Clarity of solution”, the letter read.
These drugs have been already consumed in the State for last one year risking the lives of people. Despite the laboratory test report, no order has been issued yet for the withdrawal of these drugs from the hospitals and stores in Kashmir province and Ladakh region.
Medical Superintendent of a hospital in Kashmir, told Excelsior that they have received no such order from the Department under which these drugs have been withdrawn. “We are giving them to patients since April last year”, he added.
Earlier last year, Metformin drug used for diabetic patients was also withdrawn from government hospitals and Medical stores for being substandard. Sources said that the drugs are being supplied to the Government hospitals without any quality control checks and by the time the laboratory reports of the samples about these drugs being sub-standard or spurious are received, they are already consumed.

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