West Bengal Bans 137 Substandard Medicines Amid Nationwide Crackdown
On May 24, 2025, the West Bengal Department of Health and Family Welfare announced a ban on 137 medicines found to be substandard, aligning with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation’s (CDSCO) report of 196 inferior drugs nationwide. The state issued a directive to retailers and wholesalers to conduct quality checks and recall affected batches from the supply chain. This move is part of an ongoing campaign to eliminate fake and low-quality medicines in West Bengal, following multiple raids, including a February seizure of counterfeit drugs worth ₹17 lakh in Howrah’s Amta area.
The government emphasized verifying wholesalers’ licenses and GST numbers, ensuring medicines are sourced through legitimate channels starting from the original company’s Carrying and Forwarding Agent (CFA). Earlier in May, the state banned 25 medicines on May 19 and recalled over 60 drugs on May 23, targeting substandard products, including critical hypertension and allergy medications.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused other states of supplying substandard drugs to West Bengal, urging health officials to conduct surprise inspections at Primary Health Centres to ensure drug safety. Last week, the state published an advertisement, “Right to Know the Right Drug,” in major newspapers, listing 51 substandard drugs and naming companies like Soft Touch Pharmaceuticals India Ltd, Apple Formulations Pvt Ltd, and Logos Pharma.
In 2024, West Bengal identified 2,988 drugs as substandard. In response to a Rajya Sabha query by BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya, Union Minister Anupriya Patel revealed that 1,06,150 drug samples were tested nationwide in the past year, with legal action initiated against 604 entities for producing or distributing substandard or adulterated drugs.
Dr. Subarna Goswami, a senior doctor and public health administrator, criticized India’s lax drug regulation, stating, “The pharmaceutical sector’s high profitability drives substandard production. Stricter price controls are essential to prevent compromised quality.”