A spurious tablet named 'Curixime-200' which was supplied to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has caused much outrage. The Food and Drug Administration took a whopping nine months to confirm the status of such medicines as spurious, giving cause for much concern regarding the efficiency of the process of testing drugs.

Key Highlights:Delayed Test Reports:

• The FDA's local laboratory took nine months to declare the medication counterfeit.

• By the time the report was issued, the majority of the 14,872 counterfeit pills had already been administered to patients.

• Only 128 pills of 'Curixime-200' have been seized so far.

Safety Concerns:

• The delay in testing poses a significant risk to patient safety.

• Hospital authorities previously did not stop using medicines until adverse reactions were reported.

Policy Changes:

• All the new medicines to be supplied to the hospitals will now have to undergo compulsory testing from now onwards.

• Medicines will be given only after the test report.

Financial Details:Medicines Cost:

• Vishal Enterprises had supplied 33 types of medicines to GMCH worth ₹66 lakh.

• Till date, GMCH has paid ₹2.25 lakh to the supplier.

Legal Action:

• GMCH filed a police complaint with the Begumpura Police Station against the company Vishal Enterprises.

• The hospital is going to recover the payment made to the supplier.

Formation of Joint Task Force:

• A task force consisting of the Drug Administration, Health Department, and Medical Education Department has been suggested.

• The task force will prevent the supply of spurious medicines and strengthen drug vigilance.

Quality Inspections:

• The Republican Party of India (RPI-Athawale) called for a proper check-up of medicines supplied to the hospitals.

• Petitions were submitted to the Health Minister and Medical Education Minister for tough action.

Statements:GMCH Dean, Dr. Shivaji Sukre:
"The FDA must provide timely reports. If the report had come sooner, the use of these medicines could have been stopped earlier."
"Moving forward, only medicines with NABL accreditation will be accepted."Joint Commissioner (FDA), Rajgopal Bajaj:
Confirmed the testing delays and acknowledged the inefficiencies in the system.Delayed testing of spurious drugs at GMCH raises several critical gaps in the existing regulatory framework. It calls for instant reforms such as strict testing protocols and key agency cooperation to prevent such incidents and protect patients in the state of Maharashtra.