Drug control officers on alert following cough syrup-linked deaths in Raj, MP

A team of Haryana FDA officials collected 31 samples randomly from multiple privately-run pharmacies and wholesalers in the wake of death of at least 12 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after they were allegedly administered faulty cough syrups.

Following the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)’s advisory on spurious cough syrups, a surprise inspection was carried out across the city on Monday, officials at Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.

Parents and doctors were advised not to administer or prescribe cough and cold medications to children below the age of two years.

A team of Haryana FDA officials collected 31 samples randomly from multiple privately-run pharmacies and wholesalers in the wake of death of at least 12 children in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after they were allegedly administered faulty cough syrups that resulted in severe damages to their kidneys, liver, and nervous system.

Amandeep Chauhan, drug control officer of the FDA Haryana’s Gurugram wing, said no samples belonging to the recently banned syrups in MP and Rajasthan were found during the city-wide inspections on Monday.

Earlier, the governments of MP and Rajasthan had ordered a stay on distribution and sale of Coldrif and Nextro-DS syrups in the respective states.

“We have collected samples keeping in mind brand combinations because it is well known that many pharmaceutical companies rely on the same salt for their medicines’ formulation. The samples would soon be sent for testing and further analysis to ensure that no such incident takes place in Gurugram,” Chauhan added.

Officials said they had stepped up vigilance in rural areas as well by notifying assistance groups of drug administrators at the micro-level to strictly enforce the advisory issued by the MoHFW. Parents and doctors were advised not to administer or prescribe cough and cold medications to children below the age of two years.

The advisory was issued following a high-level meeting chaired by Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava with all states and Union territories on Sunday to review compliance with drug quality norms and promote rational use of cough syrups, especially among paediatric populations.

“The medicines in question can reach rural areas and to ensure safety of the rural population, messages are being circulated on WhatsApp groups asking them to avoid using those drugs, especially to children under the age of five,” Chauhan said.