NEW DELHI: As many as 46 drug samples manufactured by various firms were found to be "not of standard quality" (NSQ) by the Central Drugs Laboratories in its monthly drug alert for May, health ministry officials said on Monday.
Additionally, the State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 113 drug samples as NSQ, officials added.
As part of routine regulatory surveillance activities, the list of NSQ and spurious drugs is displayed on the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) portal every month.
“For May 2026, the Central Drugs Laboratories identified 46 drug samples as NSQ, while the State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 113 drug samples as NSQ,” a health ministry statement said.
Drug samples are classified as NSQ when they fail to meet one or more specified quality parameters.
The failure is specific to the batch of the drug product tested by the government laboratory and does not warrant concerns about other batches or drug products available in the market, the statement said.
Further, in May 2026, one drug sample from Assam was identified as spurious. It was manufactured by unauthorised entities using a brand name owned by another company.
The matter is under investigation, and action will be taken in accordance with the provisions of the Act and Rules, the ministry added.
Officials said that the identification of NSQ and spurious medicines is a regular exercise carried out in collaboration with state regulators to ensure that such drugs are detected and removed from the market.