Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): A batch of Paracetamol Paediatric Oral Suspension was stopped from use after it failed quality testing in Jabalpur on Friday.
The batch of paracetamol syrup was meant for children and was supplied to government hospitals.
The medicine is Paracetamol Paediatric Oral Suspension IP 125 mg/5 ml, batch number 41507. It was manufactured by Zenith Drugs Limited, Indore.
CMHO Dr Naveen Kothari has ordered all civil hospitals and clinics to immediately stop using the affected batch of the syrup.
Samples of the syrup were tested at a drug testing laboratory in Bhopal, where it was found to be substandard.
The batch was manufactured in November 2024 and was set to expire in October 2026.
The CMHO, Dr Naveen Kothari, “MP shasan ki ek proper monitoring system hai jisme har mahine medicines ki testing hoti hai. Jab tak NABL report pass nahi hoti, tab tak dawa patient ko nahi di jati. Store mein aane ke baad bhi medicines ki dobara checking hoti hai. Is case mein kuch issue mila, isliye humne poora stock wapas bula liya hai.” (There is a proper monitoring system in Madhya Pradesh where medicines are tested every month. Until the NABL report is passed, the medicine is not given to patients. Even after reaching the store, medicines are checked again. In this case, some issue was found, so we have recalled the entire stock).
Investigation On
Officials have started an investigation to find out how much stock was supplied and how much has already been used. Further action will depend on the findings of the inquiry.
Health officials have clarified that strict monitoring systems are in place for medicines supplied in government hospitals.
According to authorities, all medicines stored are regularly checked under a fixed system. Every month, samples of selected medicines are sent for testing, and only those that pass the required NABL standard report are approved for use on patients.
Officials said that even after medicines reach storage, they are tested again to ensure quality and safety. In this case, once the issue was found in the paracetamol syrup, steps were taken to immediately stop its use and recall the stock from all locations where it was supplied.
What is the syrup for?
The syrup is commonly used to treat fever and is widely used in the district, so extra caution has been taken. Authorities also explained that sometimes minor issues can occur in products, similar to how sugar syrup may develop changes. Since such medicines also contain sugar components, any irregularity is taken seriously.
All available stock of the affected batch has now been called back, and further investigation is ongoing.
