Delhi govt inspects 25 firms, collects 55 samples in crackdown on spurious anticancer drugs

In a special enforcement drive against spurious and substandard anticancer drugs, Delhi government inspected 25 firms and collected 55 samples across the city, officials said on Monday.

Directed by the Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, the drive was conducted by the Drugs Control Department to strengthen regulatory oversight of lifesaving cancer medicines and safeguard patients undergoing critical treatment, an official statement said.

The teams inspected retail and wholesale establishments dealing in anticancer drugs in areas around major hospital clusters and pharmaceutical markets in East, South, West and North-West Delhi.

Areas including Laxmi Nagar, Yusuf Sarai, Green Park, Okhla Industrial Area, Paschim Vihar, Dwarka and Rohini were inspected by the department, it added.

Six firms were found violating provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, and legal action has been initiated against them, the statement said.

It said that a total of 33 legal samples and 22 specimen samples of anticancer drugs were collected for laboratory testing to verify their quality and compliance with prescribed standards. Further action will be taken based on the test results to prevent the circulation of any substandard or spurious medicines.

The minister emphasised that anticancer drugs are critical and lifesaving medicines and said that any compromise in quality poses serious risks to patient safety.

He said that surveillance of the supply chain has been intensified to ensure that only safe, effective and standards-compliant medicines reach hospitals, pharmacies and patients.

“These enforcement drives will continue relentlessly. As long as I am Health Minister, fake or substandard medicines will not be allowed to threaten the lives of Delhi’s citizens,” Singh added.

The government follows a zero-tolerance policy against fake medicines, particularly those used in cancer treatment, and that continuous inspections, strict enforcement and regular monitoring will remain a priority, the statement said.