ALAPPUZHA: A state of the art laboratory to test the quality of life-saving medicines will be opened soon at the Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (KSDP) at Pathirappally here. The laboratory has been completed and is awaiting the nod of the state government for its launch. It was set up spending `3 crore with all the facilities to check the quality of drugs.
KSDP MD K B Jayakumar said the laboratory was set up with the help of the state government. The aim of the company is to check the quality of medicines produced by the company. Over 50 varieties of tablets and other drugs are being produced in the company. The recognition of National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is needed to export the medicines produced in the company. So the management decided to set up the laboratory with modern facilities, he said. All pieces of equipment to test the quality of drugs have been set up there. The company management is planning to conduct quality test of medicines and other consumer products in the laboratory.
About 50 samples can be tested per day. The laboratory will help the Drugs Control Department to test various drugs. Now they are testing the collected samples in the laboratory at Thiruvananthapuram which is time consuming. The management is planning to check food samples, drugs or liquor from various agencies to generate income. If a patient is doubtful about the quality of the medicine purchased from the medical shop, he can test it at the lab. The result of the test will be valid anywhere in the world as it has attained NABL accreditation.
The laboratory will help the Excise and Food Safety Departments also. Now, they are testing the samples collected from liquor shops, toddy shops, hotels and various manufacturing units in their own labs. There is no such facility in Central Kerala and the quantum of samples is high which makes inordinate delays. After the opening of the laboratory in KSDP, the departments can check the quality of drugs and food items in the lab and get the results without delay, said the KSDP officials.