When Medicine is Not proper

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Sometimes we read in newspaper that there are less quality medicines are selling in the market. The producers are getting many advantages from the government for setting up a industry and some of them are doing this criminal offense. Here I am submitting a news published in THE TIMES OF INDIA,KOLKATA,THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 2,2012: PAGE:12. Iron particles found in iron tablets in Maha Mumbai: Ever heard of a medical iron tablet actually containing free iron particles, that too in a huge quantity? State food and drug administration commissioner Mahesh Zagde initially did not believe it. However, when a Thanebased consumer presented him with the evidence, he was left both stunned and horrified. “The consumer walked into my office, and, in the presence of officials, showed how the iron tablet was attracted to a magnet,’’ Zagde told TOI. Zagde said, in view of the specific complaint, he sent the ‘Solufer-XT’ tablets for testing in the FDA laboratory. An analysis revealed that the iron tablet contained 117mg of free iron particles, more than 193%of the labelled quantity. The consumer had alerted the Food and Drug Administration about iron pieces being found in a medically-prescribed iron tablet. The content of elemental iron in the tablet, prescribed for anaemia or lack of red blood cells, was way above permissible limits. Zagde has directed Himachal Pradesh-based Galpha Laboratories to withdraw the entire stock of the product from Maharashtra. Simultaneously, the Food and Drug Administration has told 76,000-odd medical stores, public health and medical education departments not to prescribe the product. “Since we are not the licensing authority for the product, we have written to the Himachal FDA and FDA commissioners across the country to ensure the product is not prescribed to any patient. We have also taken up the issue with the Drug Controller of India,’’ Zagde said. A professor of pharmacology said the presence of free metallic iron particles in an iron tablet is unheard of. “By and large, iron tablets contain ferrous and ferric salts. I am in the pharmacology sector for well over four decades, but have never heard of the presence of iron particles in an iron tablet,” he said. “It should be probed at the highest level and stringent measures should be taken against the erring pharmaceutical firm,’’ he added. STRONG MEDICINE: • Tablet name: Solufer-XT Tablet (SLXT-10414B) • What FDA found: Free metallic iron particles, 117mg in each tablet • Content of elemental iron was more than 193.56% of labelled quantity • FDA officials say such tablets can damage one’s kidneys, liver, besides causing internal injuries