In a tough move against the flourishing fake medicines, authorities in Uttar Pradesh launched a massive recall of fake medicines, having alarming reports from the laboratory. The recall is confined to some batch numbers of medicines that were generally prescribed for pain relief and sleep disorders.

Key Details:

• Drugs Flagged:

• Alzocell 0.5mg by VK Life Sciences and Alpracef 0.5 by Cure and Cure were found to lack Alprazolam as the key active ingredient.

• Pain relief tablet Spasmowel was found to contain Paracetamol but lacked Tramadol, a required pain reliever.

• Also, an empty capsule with gelatin was found among the counterfeit products.

• Extent of Seizure: Medicines worth ₹8 crore and machinery valued at ₹4 crore were seized in these raids.

This came after extensive raids conducted on October 22 by the UP Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), the drug department, and local police in Agra. The raids focused on a pharmaceutical unit owned by Vijay Goyal, a person who has professed to manufacture fake medicines.States and UTs Alerted:Lists of affected medicines and batch numbers have been sent to drug inspectors across Uttar Pradesh and other states, including Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal. Advisories have been sent to them for halting the sale and recalling these medicines.

Arrests and Legal Action:

• Vijay Goyal, along with his manager Narendra Sharma and eight others, has been arrested under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

• Both Goyal and Sharma had already been jailed for a similar sort of crime, but this year they were back on the streets. Investigations have revealed that four months after their release, they began their business in the Sikandra Industrial Area.

Implications for Public Health:
The fake medicine that is being consumed is harmful to health as they do not contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient or at least contain only excipients. The authorities have earlier urged alertness among the healthcare professionals and the public to report if there are adverse effects caused by the counterfeit drugs.

What is next?
Authorities are expanding their crackdown on counterfeit drug networks, and with it, many more inspections are set to take place across the affected states. The state’s Drug Control Department has called for stricter regulatory measures and enhanced surveillance.