The Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd (KSMSCL) has recalled over 70% of certain drugs distributed to government hospitals across the state after they were mistakenly labelled for veterinary use.
According to The Hindu, the issue came to light after the corporation procured seven different drugs, including nasal solutions and eye drops, from Pushkar Pharma Ltd in January 2024. Upon receiving the shipment, officials noticed a crucial misprint – the labels displayed the logo of the Animal Husbandry Veterinary Sciences (AHVS) Department instead of the Health Department.
Pushkar Pharma assured KSMSCL it was a simple printing error and the drugs were safe for human use. Officials maintain it was a "logo misprint" and that the drugs themselves met all quality standards. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also clarified that the drugs procured by KSMSCL were not for animal use and that it was a label misprint.
Adding to the confusion, KSMSCL's response seems contradictory. While acknowledging the logo error, they allowed Pushkar Pharma to simply mask the AHVS logo on the remaining stock instead of rejecting the entire shipment. Additionally, a mere 1% penalty was imposed on the company.
While The Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 prohibits tampering with labels on medicinal products, KSMSCL Managing Director Chidananda S Vatare refuted it stating that the error only affected a small part of the label (the department logo). He said that the core product information remained intact, and in one section, the logo was correct (mentioning Health Department). Instead of the Health Department, it was typed as AHVS Department, The Hindu report.
Vatare further justified the decision by citing the critical shortage of these drugs at the time. To ensure public health needs were met, they allowed Pushkar Pharma to mask the logo as a one-time solution. He said that standard procedures were followed. The company received a warning and a penalty before the drugs were accepted.