Rastriya Samachar Samiti

Kathmandu, January 30

The Department of Drug Administration states that it has found counterfeit and low-quality medicines being smuggled into the country from border areas. These are being distributed and sold in large quantities. Pharmaceutical companies manufacturing these spurious medicines that are being smuggles into the country through different transit points from India, have not registered these brands of medicines in Nepal for their sale and distribution.

These medicines are also reportedly reaching remote and mountainous districts.

The 11 Indian pharmaceutical companies which have not

been registered in Nepal but whose medicines are being illegally sold here are the ADIP labs, GIDC Estate, Kakol, Dano Vaccines and Biological Pvt Ltd, Ghatkesar (Andhra Pradesh), SD Pharmaceuticals (P) Ltd, Roorkee Road, Muzaffarnagar, Elmac Remedies (P) Ltd, Karinagar, Relax Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, Sirmar, Mankind Pharma Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, Magrita Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Ind-Swift Ltd, Par Pharmaceuticals (P) Ltd, and Godjay Laboratories (P) Ltd. The department has found medicines manufactured by these pharmaceutical companies during surprise inspections and monitoring of medicine shops in Narayanghat, Butwal, Krishnanagar and surrounding areas. Samples of 18 such spurious medicines found in these areas have been collected and laboratory tests are being conducted to determine their quality.

It was found that the Narayanghat-based Diamond Medicine Traders was selling and distributing Tetanus Toxoid injections, manufactured by Dano Vaccines and Biological Pvt Ltd which is not registered in Nepal. This medicine was supplied to Diamond Medicine Traders by the Tawa Medicine International, Birgunj.Addressing a press conference organised by the Department of Drug Administration here today, the chief drug administrator of the department, Bhopendra Bahadur Thapa said some 6,000 brands of medicines of various domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies are sold and supplied in the country at present. Stating that there are 14,000 medicine shops in Nepal, he said there is a dearth of manpower at the department for inspecting and monitoring the medicine shops.