The Cough Syrup Crisis: Conflicting Reports Highlight Gaps in India's Drug Regulation
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: General Science (Health, Diseases, Chemicals in news - Diethylene Glycol (DEG), Ethylene Glycol (EG)); Indian Polity and Governance (Drug Regulation in India, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation - CDSCO).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Health & Governance): Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health; Government policies and interventions. Drug regulation and safety is a critical topic.
General Studies Paper 3 (Economy): The impact of such incidents on India's pharmaceutical industry, often called the "pharmacy of the world," and its export potential.
Key Highlights from the News
The cough syrup controversy in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where children died, reveals inconsistencies in reports from the Central Health Ministry and the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department.
While the Central Health Ministry states that the cough syrups do not contain toxins, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department's inspection found that the cough syrup 'Coldrif' contained the toxic substance Diethylene Glycol (DEG).
Based on Tamil Nadu's report, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala banned the cough syrup, and the Tamil Nadu government asked the manufacturer to stop production.
This incident highlights deficiencies in drug quality regulation in India and a lack of coordination between central and state agencies.
The main reason for such tragedies is the contamination of industrial toxins like DEG, EG into glycerin and similar substances used as solvents in medicines.
To identify the root cause of the problem, the Central Health Ministry has now initiated "risk-based inspection" in 19 drug manufacturing units.
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