(a) whether the sale of spurious/fake drugs has been
increasing in the country particularly in Delhi;
(b) if so, the details thereof during the last three years
alongwith the action taken against the offenders;
(c) whether the Government has taken steps to amend the
existing law so as to award exemplary punishment to the
manufacturers and sellers of spurious/fake drugs; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a)&(b): Manufacture and sale of spurious/counterfeit drugs
is primarily a clandestine activity. To this extent, it is
difficult to detect the manufacture or movement of spurious
drugs.
However, as per feed back available from State Drugs
Controllers 38824, 43138 and 40862 drug samples were tested
during the period 2001-2002, 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 out of
which 96,129 and 118 samples respectively were found
spurious which is 0.33, 0.29 and 0.288% of the samples
reported spurious.
Under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 the
responsibility for regulating manufacture and sale of drugs
including taking legal action against the unscrupulous
persons rests with the State Governments. In view of
this, as per the feedback available from State Drugs
Controllers 563, 651, 538, 449 and 570 prosecutions were
launched whereas 163, 245, 171, 105 and 166 cases were
decided during the period 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-
2002,2002-2003 and 2003-2004 respectively.
As per information available from the Health & FW Dept.
of Govt. of NCT of Delhi, the officers of the Drugs Control
Department of Govt. of Delhi carried out routine inspection,
special inspection and raids regularly at Bhagirath Palace
that is the wholesale market of drug in the capital. Drugs
Inspectors of Govt. of India are some time associated in the
inspection programme in Bhagirath Palace. The assistance of
Delhi Police is taken during the raid whenever necessary.
Samples of drugs are taken at random to have a test check on
the quality of drugs moving in the market. During the last
three years i.e. 2002-2003, 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 a total
720 special inspections/raids on complaints were carried out
by the Drugs Inspectors of Govt. of NCT, Delhi. The details
of samples of drugs taken from the Bhagirath Palace for
test/analysis and results thereof are as under:
Year No. of No. of tests No. of Samples drawn report samples received reported as Spurious
2002-2003 748 742 01 (0.13%) 2003-2004 420 351 01 (0.28%) 2004-2005 139 02 Nil