Central labs find 63 drug samples to be not of standard quality in its Oct drug alert

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Central drug laboratories have found 63 drug samples of various firms to be "not of standard quality" in its monthly drug alert for October, Health Ministry officials said on Thursday.

Further, the state drug testing laboratories identified 148 drug samples as not of standard quality (NSQ), they said.

The list of NSQ and spurious drugs is displayed on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) portal on a monthly basis under routine regulatory surveillance activity.

"For the month of October 2025, central drugs laboratories have identified 63 drug samples to be not of standard quality; State drugs testing laboratories have identified 148 drug samples as not of standard quality," an official statement said.

Identification of drug samples as NSQ is done based on failure of the drug sample in one or the other specified quality parameters. The failure is specific to the drug products of the batch tested by the government laboratory, and it does not warrant any concerns on the other drug products available in the market, it said.

Further, in October, three drug samples from Bihar and two from Delhi were identified as spurious drugs, which were made by unauthorised manufacturers using a brand name owned by another company.

This action of identifying NSQ and spurious medicines is taken on a regular basis in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that such drugs are identified and removed from the market. PTI PLB NSD NSD