Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav has called for stringent action against the circulation of substandard medicines and directed officials to strengthen surveillance mechanisms to safeguard public health. Inaugurating the newly upgraded State Drug Testing Laboratory and the Drug Control Administration headquarters in Vijayawada on Friday, the minister emphasized that the facility would play a crucial role in early detection of poor-quality and life-saving drugs, preventing their sale in the market.
Increased Drug Sample Collection
Speaking on the occasion, Satya Kumar Yadav noted that the NDA coalition government had significantly increased the collection of drug samples from medical stores and manufacturing units over the past two years, leading to a decline in the circulation of substandard medicines. He cautioned against complacency, urging officials to intensify inspections and ensure that poor-quality medicines are completely eliminated from the market.
The minister reported that the percentage of substandard drugs detected in the market has decreased from 2.13 percent to 1.02 percent due to strengthened enforcement measures. However, he stressed the need to reduce this figure further and warned that negligence in duty would not be tolerated.
Upgraded Laboratory Capacity
Satya Kumar Yadav stated that the Vijayawada laboratory, upgraded to a state-level facility with modern equipment and infrastructure, now has the capacity to test up to 13,000 drug samples annually, compared to around 4,000 samples tested each year earlier. He added that the government has identified the need for additional personnel and will initiate recruitment after consultations with the Finance department.
Highlighting measures to curb adulterated food products, the health minister said the Drug Control Administration would be integrated with the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) to strengthen the detection of substandard drugs and adulterated food items. He also mentioned that a state-level laboratory had already been established in Tirumala and two more laboratories are being developed through the IPM.
Drug Control Administration in-charge Director General S Suresh Kumar said the new laboratory would bring significant improvements in public health protection. He urged officials to ensure scientific sampling of medicines, maintain transparency through digitization, and avoid unnecessary harassment of stakeholders while enforcing regulations.
