KARACHI (Kashmir English): The Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory has found 15 substandard, counterfeit and unregistered pharmaceutical products being sold at medical stores in the metropolitan city.
The flagged products include commonly used eye and ear preparations, antibiotics, painkillers, mouthwashes, baby-care products and other medicines.
Chemical analysis revealed that ingredients declared on their packaging were not found in the products, raising concerns about the quality of the products.
According to Director of the Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory Syed Adnan Rizvi, drug inspectors had collected 15 samples from medical stores in Karachi’s south and central districts and sent them for chemical examination.
The laboratory found all 15 samples to be substandard and counterfeit, with some also classified as unregistered, he said.
Counterfeit medicines
The products identified include Baby Eye Care, Tobramycin Ophthalmic Solution, Total Care Mouthwash, Magic Lotion, Anti Plaque Mouthwash, Denziclor Mouthwash, Happy Tooth Kid Mouthwash, Babycare Ear Cream and Vital Ear Cream.
The list also includes five medicines: the antibiotics Velosef and Augmentin, the painkiller Nospa Forte, Mucaine syrup and Brexin tablets.
According to the director, the chemical composition of the tested products did not match the ingredients declared on their packaging, indicating that the medicines did not contain the specified active ingredients. Subsequently, the laboratory declared the products substandard, counterfeit and unregistered under the Drugs Act 1976 and the DRAP Act 2012.
Warning about the potential consequences, Rizvi said substandard medicines might fail to produce the desired therapeutic effect and, in some cases, could prove harmful to patients.
