KILLER MEDICINE, Pg8.

Key Highlights:

• At least 14 children died in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan between August and October after consuming contaminated Coldrif cough syrup.
• The syrup contained 48.6% diethylene glycol (DEG), far exceeding the WHO's acceptable standard of 0.10%.
• Madhya Pradesh has banned the syrup and arrested a doctor following the incident.
• Data shows that 36% of inspected drug-manufacturing units were shut down for serious violations in 2023-24.

Detailed Insights:

• This incident is part of a pattern of regulatory failures, with similar cases occurring in Cameroon (2023), Gambia and Uzbekistan (2022), and J&K (2020).
• India's pharmaceutical industry, known as the "pharmacy of the world," supplies a significant portion of generics to the US and medicines to African nations.
• State regulators often lack resources and autonomy, and drug inspectors are frequently assigned administrative tasks, hindering effective pharmacovigilance.
• Indian firms implicated in past offences have faced minimal legal consequences, indicating a lack of accountability.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Diethylene Glycol (DEG): A toxic industrial solvent that can cause kidney failure and death if ingested.
• Pharmacovigilance: The science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem.