Jaipur: The Rajasthan Drug Control Department on Monday imposed a ban on the sale and use of TOCIN (Oxytocin Injection 5 ml), manufactured by Jackson Laboratories Pvt Ltd, following a failed quality test. The department has seized approximately 3,500 vials from Kota Government Hospital and various stockists associated with the medicine's supply chain.
Failed Quality Test Details
Drug Controller Rajasthan, Ajay Phatak, informed Times of India that the sample failed because it did not contain the required quantity of the oxytocin component. He stated, "Though the sample passed bacterial endotoxin and sterility tests, the required quantity of oxytocin was not found in the injection." Consequently, orders have been issued across the state to prohibit the injection manufactured by the company.
Storage and Usage of Oxytocin Injections
Phatak emphasized that oxytocin injections must be stored at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C to maintain their effectiveness. He added, "The injection is generally administered during normal deliveries to induce labour pain and is also used to control excessive bleeding after childbirth."
No Direct Link to Recent Deaths
Addressing concerns regarding recent deaths of pregnant women in Kota hospitals, Phatak clarified that the banned injections have no direct connection to those fatalities. He explained, "The women who died in Kota underwent caesarean deliveries, while this injection is primarily meant for inducing labour in normal delivery cases."
Ongoing Investigation and Crackdown
The development occurs amid an ongoing investigation into the deaths of five women during treatment after childbirth in Kota. Officials noted that the banned injection belonged to a different batch and was available in 5 ml quantity, whereas the medical college in Kota locally procured 1 ml injections of the same company from another batch. Following the failed sample report, drug control teams launched a crackdown in Kota and inspected locations connected to the supply of the injections to government hospitals.
