167 drug samples fail quality tests in Dec 2025: Health Ministry

New Delhi: As many as 167 drug samples were flagged as “not of standard quality” (NSQ) in December 2025, according to a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.

The central drugs laboratories identified 74 drug samples manufactured by various companies as NSQ in their monthly drug alert for December. In addition, state drug testing laboratories found 93 drug samples that failed to meet prescribed quality standards, the statement said.

As part of routine regulatory surveillance, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) uploads a consolidated list of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and spurious drugs on its portal every month, reported PTI.

“For the month of December 2025, Central Drugs Laboratories have identified 74 Drug Samples to be Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and State Drugs Testing Laboratories have identified 93 samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ),” the statement said.

The ministry clarified that a drug sample is classified as NSQ when it fails to meet one or more specified quality parameters. Such failure is limited to the specific batch tested by the government laboratory and does not raise concerns about other batches or drug products available in the market.

Further, during December 2025, four drug samples from the North Zone (Ghaziabad) and one sample each from FDA Ahmedabad, Bihar, and Maharashtra were identified as spurious. These were found to have been manufactured by unauthorised entities using brand names belonging to other companies.

The cases are currently under investigation, and appropriate legal action will be initiated, the statement said.

The ministry added that the identification of NSQ and spurious medicines is a continuous exercise carried out in coordination with state regulators to ensure such drugs are detected and removed from the market.