Suspected transportation and sale of spurious and substandard drugs from other States through unauthorised channels have alarmed medical representatives and pharmacists in Kerala.
Normally, medicines are sourced from the depots of manufacturing companies by their distributors, which are then sold to pharmacy stores and hospitals. Functionaries of the Kerala Medical and Sales Representatives Association (KMSRA), affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, claim that this route is found to have been bypassed by some unauthorised groups now. P.K. Santhosh, State general secretary, KMSRA, says that such people offer to sell drugs at a rate lower than what is offered at the company depots. The source of these medicines and their quality are suspicious.
“Some such drugs are reportedly transported by train from other States and are kept at normal temperatures throughout the journey, which could affect their quality… The authorities need to find out how a particular drug with a standard price can be sold at very low rates,” he says. The death of kids in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after consumption of cough syrups with a high content of diethylene glycol needs to serve as a wake-up call for the State authorities, the KMSRA functionaries say.
A.N. Mohan, State president, All-Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA), points out that the suspected spurious medicines are being transported to Kerala from Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad in Telangana, Madurai in Tamil Nadu, and Bengaluru in Karnataka. “There was an instance of a private bus operator transporting medicines through one of his vehicles from Puduchery to Kozhikode without any checking,” he says. In some places, insulin drugs are given a discount of 20% and other medicines between 10% and 70%. According to AKCDA functionaries, there has been “an infiltration of the leading brands and other medicines from other States by unauthorised and authorised stockists.”
The reported staff shortage in the Drugs Control department is another cause for concern. The department does not have enough drug inspectors and other personnel to carry out the checking of the drug samples.
The KMSRA is planning to stage a ‘dharna’ outside the office of the State Drugs Controller in Thiruvananthapuram on November 5, demanding action against the suspected sale of spurious drugs through unauthorised channels. The AKCDA has convened a meeting in Kochi on November 14 to discuss the issue as well. Representatives of pharmaceutical companies and the Drugs Control department officials are expected to attend the meeting.
Published – November 03, 2025 07:01 pm IST
