Is paracetamol banned in Kerala? Fact check

The Kerala Drugs Control Department issues warnings and guidelines, often banning the sale and use of low-quality drugs in the state. Readers have been sending messages to Manorama Online’s Fact Check number 8129100164 seeking clarity about the medicines included in the list of banned medicines in Kerala.

Investigation
People were curious to know whether certain medicines like paracetamol are included in the list of 12 banned drugs. There have been reports of Kerala banning 12 medicines including Paracetamol and Pantop, manufactured by various companies as they have failed the quality tests. The Drugs Controller had announced that the sale of 12 low-quality medicines has been banned in the state. These medicines were identified in the quality tests conducted at the Drugs Control Department laboratories.

The sale and distribution of these batches were banned in the state. The merchants and hospitals with stocks of these medicines should return them to the distributors and the details should be informed to the district drugs control authorities. The name of the drug, manufacturers, batch number, date of production and expiry are given below.
1) Aspirin Gastro Resistant Tablets IP 150 mg – Unicare India Ltd C – 21, 22 & 23, Sector 3, Noida, District Gautam Budh Nagar, UP – 201301 – APET934 – 02/2022 – 01/2024
2) Paracetamol Tablets IP 500mg - GENO Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., KIADB, Honaga, Balagavi- 591113 - PP132043 – 05/2022 – 04/2026

3) Paracetamol Tablets IP ( Paraband -500) - Danish Health Care (P) Ltd., 76/27-28, Industrial Estate, Maxi Road, Ujjain – 456 010 – PDN23006 – 01/2023 – 12/2024
4) Tramadol Hydrochloride & Acetaminophen Tablets USP (ERADOL-P) - Jineka Healthcare Pvt. Ltd,15, Sec – 6 B, IIE, Ranipur, Haridwar – 249 403 (U K) – JT – 2304286 – 04/2023 – 03/2025

5)Clopidogrel & Aspirin Capsules (75 Mg/150 mg) - Mascot Health Series Pvt. Ltd, PIot No: 79.80. SectOR 6 A, IIE, Sidcul, Haridwar – 249 403, MC221205 – 12/2022 – 11/2024
6) Sevelamer Carbonate Tablets 400mg (Selamer-400) - Mascot Health Series Pvt. Ltd,Plot No.79,80.Sec-6A, IIE, SIDCUL, Haridwar – 249 403, Utharakhand – MT226124B – 12/2022 – 11/2024
7) Pantoprazole Gastro - Resistant Tablets I.P 40 mg (Pantop 40) - Aristo Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, Plot Nos: 2040 – 46, NH 10, Bhagey Khola PO, Majhitar, East Sikkim – 737136 – SPB30255 – 02/2023 – 07/2025

8) Levocetirizine Hydrochloride and Montelukast Sodium Tablets I.P (UVNIL MONT) -  Ravenbhel Healthcare Pvt Ltd, 16 – 17, EPIP, SIDCO, Kartholi, Bari Brahmana, Jammu – 181133 – 249222004 – 09/2022 – 08/2024
9) Methylprednisolone Tablets IP, Coelone-8 - Vapi Care Pharma Pvt. Ltd, Plot No. 225/3, GIDC, Near Morarji Circle, Vapi – 396195, Gujarat, India – VGT 220187 – 12/2022 – 11/2024
10) Montelukast Sodium and Levocetirizine HCI IP Tablets  (LEEVAZ-M) - Areete Life Science Pvt. Ltd, PloT No 5, Sri Sapthagiri Gardens, Kayarambedu, Guduvanchery – 603202 – AT204G22 – 07/2022 – 06/2024

11) Ibuprofen and Paracetamol Tablets IP (ALKEMFLAM) - Shiva Biogenetic Laboratories Pvt. Ltd, Village Manpura, Baddi, Dist. Solan (HP) – 174101 – MT23004SL – 02/2023 – 01/2026
12) Cilnidipine Tablets I.P 20mg - Unimarck Health Care Ltd, Plot No. 24,25,37, Sector 6A, SIDCUL, Haridwar – 249 403, Uttarkhand – UGT22283 – 02/2022 – 01/2024

The above list was received by the fact checking team for investigation. This list included paracetamols, pantoprazole and aspirin medicines that are regularly used by many.

The team logged into the official website of the Kerala Drug Control Department to check whether there has been any announcement regarding the ban of the medicines that are mentioned in the list. The report containing the details of the banned medicines was acquired from the website. The press release published on the website read, ‘The sale and distribution of the following medicines have been banned in the state as they failed the drug quality tests done at the laboratories in October. The merchants and hospitals with stocks of these medicines should return them to the distributors and the details should be informed at the district drugs control authorities.’ A list of the banned medicines too has been published in the website.

The team also spoke to the drug control authorities to gather more information about the medicines that failed the quality test. The authorities stated that the list contained the names and batch numbers of the medicines that were found to be of low quality in the regular tests conducted by the drug control department every month. Certain batches of medicines usually fail the quality test. Meanwhile, the same medicines in other batches are safe to be used. Only the batches that do not meet the standards of quality are banned. The medicines of other batches and companies aren’t banned and could be used.
It has been confirmed that only the medicines of the batches mentioned in the list have been banned.

Fact
The Kerala Drug Control Department has banned a number of drugs, including paracetamols from certain batches that failed the quality tests. The authorities stated that it is safe to use the same medicines from different batches. The claim that all the drugs in the list, including essential medicines like paracetamol, were completely banned in the state is false.