Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is facing an alarming rise in counterfeit and substandard medicines, according to Drug Control Department data. Shockingly, even government-supplied medicines have failed quality tests, raising serious questions about patient safety and the effectiveness of the state’s drug-inspection system.

According to data revealed by the Drug Control Department under the RTI Act, low-quality drugs worth ₹5.2 crore were seized in Palakkad, Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki and Thrissur districts. Officials fear the actual figure could be far higher once data from the remaining districts are compiled.

The RTI response shows that substandard medicines have infiltrated treatment for a range of conditions — including viral fevers, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Officials admitted that due to inadequate inspections, complete statistics are unavailable from across the state.

One of the most serious findings emerged from Palakkad, where medicines prescribed to treat diabetes, dizziness and vertigo, worth ₹4.39 crore, supplied by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation failed quality tests. The entire batch was later seized.

Kerala has around 24,000 drug stores but only 50 drug inspectors. Nearly half of these outlets reportedly remain uninspected each year. By the time suspect drugs are identified and tested, most are already sold, officials said. The state also receives medicines from hundreds of out-of-state manufacturers, and counterfeit versions labelled under well-known brands are widely circulated, officials said.

In Kottayam alone, 67 varieties of substandard drugs were seized. Earlier, officials uncovered fake medicines prescribed for viral fever across Kerala, with one case currently under trial in the Neyyattinkara court.

Major drugs found substandard:

• Atorvastatin (cholesterol)
• Clonidine (blood pressure)
• Betahistine (vertigo, dizziness)
• Montelukast, Lucorin (asthma, allergy)
• Ofloxacin (antibiotic)
• Aspirin, Clopidogrel (blood thinning)
• Rabeprazole (acidity)
• Isosorbide Fumarate, Nicorandil (heart disease)
• Donepezil (Alzheimer’s)
• Glimepiride (diabetes)
• Ondansetron (vomiting)
• Pantoprazole (gastrointestinal issues)

District-wise data of seized drugs

• Palakkad – ₹4.40 crore
• Kottayam – ₹16.08 lakh
• Idukki – ₹26.73 lakh
• Thiruvananthapuram – ₹25.15 lakh
• Thrissur – ₹11.4 lakh