Govt-supplied medicine under scanner
Srinagar, Jan 8: Medicines meant to cure are failing quality tests in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sixty drugs failed checks in seven months, most from Kashmir, with government supply accounting for a third, putting J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited (JKMSCL)’s quality system under sharp scrutiny.
The data regarding substandard drugs discovered through surveillance reveals two striking findings: a majority of substandard drugs have been from markets of Kashmir, and the government supply, which carries the promise of quality from the procuring corporation, is not beyond the scope of scrutiny.
Laboratory tests by the J&K Drug and Food Control Organisation (J&K DFCO) reveal that 60 medicines among the samples, lifted from markets and hospitals, were Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) in J&K.
The data pertains to the seven months from April 2025 to November 2025.
Of these, 17 were from locations in the Jammu division, while the remaining 43 were from the Kashmir division.
The unusually high number of samples testing substandard from the Kashmir division, as compared to the Jammu division, seems to reaffirm the popular belief that Kashmir is the hub of poor-quality medicines.
Interestingly, the sampling from the Kashmir division is quite robust across districts, according to the data of the department.
However, in the Jammu division, sampling appears to be sluggish and sporadic in places other than the Jammu district.
Of the 60 substandard drugs, a substantial proportion, nearly one-third (21 samples), have been from the government supply.
The medical supplies in government hospitals are procured through JKMSCL since 2015, constituted to ensure safe and quality medicines through a “fool-proof” sampling strategy.
With the fresh data, a big question mark arises over the efficacy of the corporation.
The corporation was constituted in 2015 for quality control and distribution of drugs and medical supplies across the J&K government hospitals.
It promised patient safety and improved the quality of medicines here.
An enhanced tripling sampling protocol was adopted to increase the reliability and transparency of drug testing.
One sample is tested by an empanelled laboratory before supplying the medicine, the second is preserved for retesting, and a third is kept as a reference or sent to a referee laboratory if and when required.
However, despite this robust system, it is shocking to find that substandard drugs are reaching healthcare facilities, discovered while being sampled and tested by J&K DFCO.
In addition, four samples from Jan Aushadhi stores were also found to be substandard in J&K this financial year.
J&K Drug Controller, Purnima Kaboo, said it was the mandate of her department to test drugs from every supply unit – government and private.
She expressed concern over the JKMSCL drugs being found substandard, while denying further comment on the issue.
“JKMSCL can give better information about that,” she said.
JKMSCL Managing Director, Tariq Ahmed Ganai, said the NSQ findings of JKMSCL-supplied drugs were “not a real concern” as the findings pertained to physical attributes only.
“The medicines are not substandard, but sometimes the tablets are broken or cracking with no impact on the quality and efficacy of the medicine,” he said.
Ganai said that standard medicines, sent only after test reports confirming the quality, were being supplied to healthcare institutions of J&K.
“We have streamlined the process of procurement and ensured that supplies are consistent,” he said.
A total of 3611 samples were lifted for testing from J&K’s private sector (pharmacies and hospitals) from April 2025 to November 2025.
Around 600 samples were taken for testing from JKMSCL and other public hospital supplies networks.
In the Jammu division, of the 166 samples in November, 75 samples have been lifted from district Jammu, 37 from Kathua, 14 from Udhampur, and nine from Samba.
The other districts of Jammu have 3 to 5 drug samples lifted.
In addition, 24 samples have been lifted from JKMSCL supplies, all from Jammu.
In the Kashmir division, of the 199 samples, 89 have been lifted from Srinagar district, 30 from Anantnag, and 20 from Baramulla district.
No samples have been lifted from Shopian, while all other districts had around 10 samples lifted.
