CAG report points out Govt failure to ensure independent quality check of drugs
In the absence of a proper testing mechanism, sub-standard drugs continue to be in use in the various health institutions of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s report, around 50.95 lakh sub-standard tablets/capsules/injections, worth Rs 82.74 lakh, were found to be used in the health institutions.
“Data collected from the state Drug and Food Controller Organization, Srinagar as well as Jammu showed that organization had lifted 1833 samples from health institutions during 2010-15 out of which 43 samples were declared as ‘Not of Standard Quality,” reads the CAG report.
“But cross checking the data in the sampled health institutions showed that 50.95 lakh medicines are not of standard quality.”
Ideally, the health institutions are required to send the samples of the drugs/disposables for testing to Drug Controller or an accredited laboratory on regular basis for ensuring independent quality check of the drugs.
But CAG has observed that “none of the test checked health institutions had a mechanism of regular referrals of drugs/medicines/disposables for testing.”
“No policy guidelines were put in place for testing of drugs before these are administered to patients,” reads the report.
The rate contracts finalized by various purchase committees for procurement of drugs provide for furnishing of the analytical reports by the suppliers. However, the audit has pointed out that there was no mechanism in place for referrals of samples by the health institutions for testing to the Drug Controller or to third party accredited laboratories.
The CAG report reveals that, there were instances where large scale drugs procured by the department had been issued for supply to patients before they were lifted for testing by Drug and Food Control Organization (DFCO) and declared as ‘not of standard quality’.
The CAG has termed the reply from DFCO in this regard as “not so convincing”, while pointing out lack of policy guidelines for ensuring third- party testing of drugs leading to issuance of sub-substandard medicines for supply to patients.
DFCO had maintained that its role was purely regulatory in nature and was restricted to lifting of samples on random basis by means of regular surveillance, adding that Controller, DFCO had made vibrant and pro-active efforts to ensure optimal testing of drugs/medicines to the best of its capacity.
