Jaipur, Nov 20 (IANS) Rajasthan Medical and Health Department, intensifying its focus on strengthening healthcare quality and ensuring better services for the public, is adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward negligence or irregularities.

The department has taken unprecedented action to guarantee the supply of quality medicines under the Chief Minister’s Free Medicine Scheme.

The Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation (RMSC) has debarred 7 firms and 40 medicines this year after they failed to meet quality standards during inspections—the largest action since the Corporation’s establishment.

Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar stated that while the smooth functioning of the Free Medicine Scheme is important, supplying only standard-quality medicines remains the top priority.

He added that strict action is being taken against firms failing to meet quality requirements, resulting in 7 firms and 40 products being banned in 2025, a record since the corporation’s inception.

Principal Secretary Gayatri Rathore noted that from 2011–12 to 2024–25, only 26 companies were banned. In contrast, seven pharmaceutical companies have already been banned in the financial year 2025–26 for supplying or failing to supply substandard medicines.

In addition, 40 medicines have been banned this year alone—again the highest in any financial year. Penalties have also been imposed in six cases.

RMSC Managing Director Pukhraj Sen explained that the Corporation has developed a robust quality-testing mechanism to prevent substandard medicines from reaching hospitals.

All medicines procured from suppliers are first stored in quarantine at district drug stores. Each batch is tested by RMSC-authorised laboratories. Only batches that meet quality standards are released for hospital distribution through the e-medicine software. Batches found substandard by authorised labs are immediately rejected.

When a drug sample fails initial testing, it is sent to the State Drug Testing Laboratory for confirmation. A letter is also sent to the Drug Controller, who collects independent samples from district drug stores and has them tested at the state laboratory.

Apart from RMSC testing, district drug control officers also collect random samples. After a substandard report is confirmed, the case is presented to the Disciplinary Committee. The concerned firm is issued a notice and allowed to be heard.

Based on the findings, the Committee then debars or penalises the firm or product as per guidelines related to tender violations, blacklisting, and debarment.

In 2025, the corporation debarred five firms for five years for supplying substandard or adulterated medicines, which include M/s Arien Healthcare producing Ciprofloxacin and Dexamethasone Eye/Ear Drops, M/s Agron Remedies Pvt. Ltd making Cefuroxime Axetil Tablets, Tobramycin Eye Drops, M/s Effi Parenterals for making Calcium and Vitamin D3 Tablets, Jpee Drugs for Calcium and Vitamin D3 Suspension, Sai Parenterals Ltd for Heparin Sodium Injection and two additional firms were banned for three years for violating service conditions, which are M/s Biogenetic Drugs Pvt. Ltd and M/s Smilex Healthcare Drug Company.

A total of 40 medicines have been banned from sale and marketing after testing confirmed they were substandard. These include: Primaquine Tablets from M/s Maxwell Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. and M/s Scott Edil Pharmacia Ltd, Heparin Sodium Injection and Calcium & Vitamin D3 Suspension from M/s Yakka Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. (banned for 3 years), Fexofenadine Tablets from M/s Santlife Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Levetiracetam Tablets and Clopidogrel + Aspirin Tablets from M/s Life Max Cancer Laboratories and Calcitriol Capsules from M/s Titanium Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd, among others.

–IANS

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