400 drug samples found to be substandard

BENGALURU: The Karnataka state drug control department found that around 400 medicines available in the market are of substandard quality. This was revealed during checks conducted at hospitals, nursing homes and clinics across the state which raises concerns about patient safety.

In 2023-24, the department tested 7,420 medicine samples out of which 285 were found to be substandard. Similarly, in 2024-25, 3,636 medicines were tested, and 177 were found to be substandard quality.

Pharmaceutical companies are required to conduct quality control tests before supplying medicines to the market. However, some companies are neglecting this process. The department is planning to take action against companies that skip or ignore conducting quality checks of medicines.