Himachal Drug dept collects samples, orders stock be brought back from market

Following reports of a ban by the Rajasthan government on an eye medicine supplied by a Baddi-based pharma unit, Health Biotech, the State Drug department today took samples of the eye solution and directed the manufacturers to stop sale and purchase of the particular batch of the drug till completion of the probe and ordered that the entire stock be brought back. The Rajasthan government had imposed a ban on the medicine after its use lead to massive infection in large number of patients during an eye camp recently.

Sources in the department revealed that the company had supplied pre-filled syringes of Manrovisc Ophthalmic solution to various medicine dealers of Rajasthan which were reportedly used by doctors of mobile unit of Rajasthan Health department at eye camps.

However, after the completion of the camp, large number of patients had complained about an infection. Soon after this, the government of Rajasthan had flashed massages to all the state governments requesting them to initiate measures to stop the use, sale and purchase of the medicines. Two companies, one from Mumbai and the other from Pondicherry, have also faced similar action by the Rajasthan government. “Soon after receipt of the official massage from the Rajasthan government, we collected the samples and sent them for laboratory analysis,” said Navneet Marwah, Assistant Drug Controller, Baddi.

Assistant Drug Controller Ravinder Chaudhary and Drug Inspector Garima Sharma have been asked to submit a report as soon as possible, he added. The inquiry will also look at whether the company is fulfilling the conditions required to ensure the manufacturing of quality products.

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