Ashhar Alam/New Delhi

Drug regulators flagged a total of 167 medicine samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) in December 2025 following nationwide testing, according to an official statement. Of these, 74 samples were identified by Central Drugs Laboratories, while 93 were flagged by State Drugs Testing Laboratories.

A drug is classified as NSQ when it fails to meet one or more prescribed quality benchmarks during laboratory analysis. Officials clarified that such findings are limited to the specific batch tested and do not imply any risk associated with other batches or similar medicines available in the market.

The statement also highlighted the detection of seven spurious drug samples during the month. These included four samples from the North Zone laboratory in Ghaziabad, and one each from FDA Ahmedabad, Bihar and Maharashtra. The medicines were allegedly produced by unauthorised manufacturers using brand names owned by other companies. Authorities said investigations are underway and strict action will be taken under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules.

As part of ongoing regulatory oversight, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) publishes a monthly list of NSQ and spurious drugs on its official portal. The exercise is carried out in coordination with state drug regulators to ensure such products are promptly identified and withdrawn from circulation, reflecting what officials described as a robust and responsive drug safety framework.

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In comparison, November 2025 saw 205 drug samples being declared NSQ 64 by central laboratories and 141 by state labs. During the same month, two spurious drug samples traced to unauthorised manufacturers were detected in the North Zone, Ghaziabad.

Health authorities reiterated that continuous surveillance and enforcement remain key to safeguarding public health and maintaining medicine quality standards nationwide.