SRINAGAR: The spurious drugs scam has taken a new turn after a sample of Maximizin-625, the substandard antibiotic that is at the centre of the controversy, taken from open market was recently found “standard” by Government Drug Analyst Laboratory here.

According to an official communiqué (ADC/Drug-Sgr/02-08; dated May 4, 2013) addressed to Deputy Controller, Drugs & Food Control Organization Kashmir, 126 tablets of Maximizin-625 were available in a chemist shop in Kawdara in old city and 192 tablets were found stocked with a wholesaler at Karan Nagar during a drive conducted on May 2.

“Out of (the) 318 tablets available in Srinagar market, a legal sample consisting of 32 strips of 6 tabs each was lifted by the concerned Drug Inspector and sent to Drug Laboratory for analysis.”
The Government Drug Analyst Laboratory, Dalgate, declared the sample as of standard quality, the communiqué added.

However, the same drug brand earlier supplied to various government hospitals particularly in the Kashmir Valley was found fake with “zero per cent” Amoxicillin Trihydrate & Potassium Clavulanate in 625 mg tablets.

According to Controller Drug and Food Organization, 265,000 tablets  were supplied to the government hospitals.   Nearly 200,000 tablets had been supplied to Provincial Medical Stores Barzulla, 50,000 to SMGS Hospital Jammu, 5000 to Lal Ded Hospital and 10000 to MS Gandhi Nagar Hospital Jammu. Of the delivered tablets to the various hospitals, only 61,276 were seized, while the rest had been consumed by patients.

Meanwhile, according to Controller Drug and Food Organization, government is planning to establish intelligence-cum-legal cell to facilitate busting of spurious drug rackets and their prompt prosecution.

Posted on: 12 May 2013, 11:05 PM