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Final draft of national drugs survey submitted to health ministry
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
October 27 , 2016
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Aimed at getting an authentic scenario of spurious and NSQ drugs in the
Indian healthcare system, the much awaited national spurious drugs
survey has finally been submitted to the Union health ministry for
further approval and release.
Samples during the pan-India
exercise were collected from 665 of the total 676 districts of the
country based on a statistical design encompassing all the retail drug
stores including government medical stores, CHCs and PHCs in
collaboration with Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata and
Hyderabad and National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO).
The
draft report submitted is the culmination of a pan-India sampling
exercise done by the National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) of nearly
48, 000 samples and chemical analysis involving 10 drug testing labs
from across the country.
In order to assess the extent of
spurious drugs and NSQ drugs in a comprehensive manner, Central Drugs
Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) formulated the survey plan in
consultation with NIB for conducting the study to help project a clear
statistics on spurious drugs, thus clarifying India’s stand on the same
with scientific evidence. Only 10 per cent of the samples were tested
during the pan-India study done in 2009.
Samples were being sent
online through a specialised AKS software to Central Drug Testing Labs
(CDTL) in Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati
for analysis and final report. Other State Drugs Testing Labs at
Vadodara, Karnataka and at IPC, Ghaziabad are also a part of testing and
analysis.
The Union health ministry had entrusted the job of
National Drugs Survey in July 28, 2014 to Noida based National Institute
of Biologicals to accomplish the study in a scientific manner as per
Indian pharmacopoeia and other pharmacopoeias.
Done at an
estimated cost of Rs. 8.5 crore, the survey is the first of its kind
study to have concluded complete testing of NSQ and spurious drugs. Dr
Surinder Singh, director, NIB is the chairman of the committee which
conducted the survey.
Aimed at identifying geographical areas
where spurious drugs are available, around 1000 drug inspectors from
across the country were trained for the pan-India initiative.
The
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) had asked the state governments to
provide information to arrive at a statistical design for the survey
like information such as the number of retail outlets (district-wise),
information regarding the maximum prescription of drugs under each of
the 15 categories including their trade name district wise, number of
civil hospital stores (district-wise), number of central medical store
(state-wise) and number of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
dispensaries throughout the country.
In order to facilitate
effective sampling of drugs by the drugs inspectors, all the 224
molecules covering 15 therapeutic drug categories were assigned a unique
sequence in the format developed through a statistical design which
ensured that the drug inspector can pick up samples only on the basis of
the statistical design and not on his own will.
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