Prime Highlights:
- The state of Karnataka has banned 15 paracetamol drugs, syrups, and injectables for failing safety and quality tests.
- Hospitals, doctors, chemists, and wholesalers have been instructed to stop the immediate use and sale of these products.
Key Facts:
- Products which have been banned include Pomol-650 tablets, MITO Q7 syrup, and Compound Sodium Lactate injections.
- Lab analysis in May 2025 labeled them as “Not of Standard Quality.”
- Severe action has been cautioned against anyone who sells or stocks these drugs.
Key Background:
In a significant effort towards safeguarding public health, the Karnataka Drug Control Department has banned 15 drug and cosmetic products, including some paracetamol-based tablets, syrups, and injections. The move came after regular quality checks on samples procured in May 2025 from all over the state. The samples, analyzed at the State Drug Testing Laboratory, were discovered to be of poor quality and could be harmful.
Among the prohibited drugs is popularly consumed Pomol-650, a paracetamol tablet produced by a Mysuru-based company. Included too are MITO Q7, a multivitamin syrup; Compound Sodium Lactate Injection, widely known by the name Ringer’s Lactate, which has several producers; Glimiz-2 tablets for treating diabetes; Iron Sucrose injection; and other valuable medicines and supplements. Even a veterinary vaccine diluent and a cosmetic item (Kumkum) are not safe from the ban.
The government of Karnataka issued a strong directive stating that all doctors, chemists, hospitals, and drug wholesalers shall stop stocking, distributing, and prescribing these 15 products at once. All institutions and individuals found in possession of these products should immediately report this to the nearest Drugs Inspector or Assistant Drugs Controller. The public health authorities have reiterated that these drugs are dangerous to the safety of patients and must never be used under any circumstances.
This crackdown is also part of Karnataka’s wider effort to improve the safety of drugs in the state. Over the last few years, there have been cases of spurious or substandard medicines that have sounded alarm bells across the country. The initiative by Karnataka is a recognition of the increased importance of securing only high-quality and reliable drugs for the people. This action also sends a stern message to manufacturers regarding abiding by quality control standards.
Authorities have promised continuous monitoring and testing of the pharmaceuticals and further action if more of the products prove to be non-compliant. The ban is a reaffirmation of the state’s pledge to safety in health and enforcing stringent pharmaceutical controls.
