Even as the number of drug samples tested for quality has seen an increase of 21.5% in the financial year 2025-26, the number of drug samples declared as spurious or adulterated during the period has registered a significant decline against the total number of samples tested, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
The number of drug samples tested by the drug regulators of various States and Union Territories during the financial year 2025-26 was 1,41,322 as compared to the 1,16,323 samples tested in the year 2024-25.
The number of samples declared as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) during the year 2025-26 was 3,012, which is around 2.1% of the total number of samples tested during the year. Only 283 samples were declared as spurious or adulterated, out of the total number of drugs samples tested during the period, it added.
The number of samples declared as spurious or adulterated has also been declining despite the number of samples tested has gone up over the last five years, says data released by the Ministry in the Parliament.
In 2021-22, when the total number of samples tested was 88,844, around 379 samples were declared as spurious or adulterated. In 2022-23, a total of 96,713 samples were tested, of which 424 were declared as spurious or adulterated. The number of samples tested in 2023-24 has gone up to 1,06,150, of which only 282 were identified as spurious or adulterated. In 2024-25, when the drug regulators tested a total of 1,16,323 samples only 245 were declared as spurious or adulterated, says the data.
The number of prosecution cases for manufacturing, sale and distribution of spurious or adulterated drugs has gone up from 592 in 2021-12 to 961 in 2024-26. During 2025-26, the Ministry has said that around 779 prosecution cases (provisional figure) has been registered against the offence.
Sharing the information in the Rajya Sabha on July 21, in response to an unstarred question, Anupriya Patel, minister of state in the ministry of health and family welfare, said that the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 was amended under Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Act 2008 to provide stringent penalties for manufacture of spurious and adulterated drugs. Certain offences have also been made cognizable and non-bailable.
For strengthening the drug regulatory system in the country, ministry of health and family welfare has implemented a Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Strengthening of States’ Drug Regulatory System (SSDRS). The scheme envisages upgrading existing State laboratories, setting up of new drug testing laboratories and upgradation of existing State drug control offices in the country.
Under the SSDRS Scheme, funds totalling Rs. 756 crore has been released to states/UTs as part of the Central share and 24 New Drug Testing Labs have been constructed and 32 existing labs have been up-graded in various states/UTs.
Additionally, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has been allocated Rs. 1019.8 crore over the last five years, she added.
Source : Pharmabiz
