Question : SPURIOUS DRUGS

(a) whether as per the findings of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), 35 per cent of the drugs sold in India are fake and anti-malarials are the most commonly pirated drugs as reported in the Hindustan Times dated July 24, 2007;  

(b) if so, the details thereof;  

(c) whether spurious drugs, injections, syrups etc. of reputed companies are being manufactured by others and marketed in large quantities in the country;  

(d) if so, the details thereof;  

(e) the details of the quantity of spurious drugs seized in the raids conducted by various investigating agencies during the last 3 years and the current year, till date, State-wise and year-wise;  

(f) the number of persons arrested for marketing/manufacturing of spurious drugs during the said period, State- wise and year-wise; and  

(g) the concrete steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to check the menace of spurious drugs in the country?  

THE MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. ANBUMANI RAMADOSS)

(a)to(g): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 151 FOR 22ND AUGUST, 2007

A report had appeared in the Mint dated 24th July, 2007 (a publication of Hindustan Times) stating that Delhi Medical Association (DMA) had found that 4 of the 53 drugs samples collected from Bhagirath Place are genuine.However, DMA on enquiry have confirmed that they have not done any survey in Bhagirath Place during 2004.There are no reports of IMA to show that 35% of drugs sold in India are fake & pirated.  

There are some cases reported of spurious / not of standard quality drugs being marketed in the country. However, whenever such cases come to light, raids are carried out by the State Drugs Control Department with the help of police to apprehend the culprit.  

 Data Pertaining to 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 is annexed. The current year data till date is being collected from the states.  

Recently, allegedly counterfeit / fake medicines were recovered by the UP Drugs Control along with Police from some parts of UP like Muzzafarnagar, Ghazibad, Meerut, Agra, Modinagar, etc. Similarly, in Bolangir district in Orissa fake medicines were detected.  

The following measures have been taken by government to check availability of spurious drugs in the country:  

A bill has been introduced in this session of Parliament providing for the creation for a Central Drugs Authority for strengthening the regulatory framework and to have uniform control over the manufacturers of the Drugs.  

Another bill is already introduced in Parliament to provide stricter penalties, provision for special courts for speedy trail of drug related offences, compounding offences authorizing the Police also to file prosecution for drugs related offences and making all such offences cognizable and non-bailable. The bill is expected to be taken up for consideration and passing during the current session of Parliament.  

Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, has been amended to make it at par with international standards and it has been made mandatory for the manufacture of drug for better quality of the products manufactured by them.  

Detailed guidelines have been issued to the State Government to undertake focused surveillance over possible movement of spurious drugs.  

Specific training programmes for regulatory officials of state governments on the logistics of intelligence work, prosecutions etc. have been conducted.