VIJAYAWADA: In a major step to strengthen pharmaceutical regulation, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav inaugurated the State Drug Testing Laboratory and Drug Control Administration headquarters in Vijayawada on Friday.
The upgraded facility will enhance early detection of substandard and spurious medicines, with testing capacity rising from 4,000 to 13,000 samples annually. Yadav highlighted the government’s “zero-tolerance” approach to public health, noting that drug surveillance has reduced substandard medicines in the market from 2.13% to 1.02% over two years.
He said staffing requirements are being assessed to ensure efficiency, with new recruitments planned in coordination with the Finance Department. While the Centre sanctioned more than `22 crore under a 60:40 scheme, Yadav criticised the previous administration for spending only `4.4 crore in five years. In contrast, the current government has invested `11.3 crore in two years, completing the Vijayawada lab and headquarters and establishing new facilities in Visakhapatnam and Kurnool.
The Minister also announced integration of the Drug Control Administration with the Institute of Preventive Medicine to strengthen vigilance against spurious drugs and adulterated food.