ISLAMABAD: The Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) has identified drugs of as many as seven pharmaceutical companies as spurious. It has claimed that some drugs may contain toxic and narcotic/psychotropic ingredients in unacceptable doses which may be life threatening.

Medicines were being sold in the market but the licence numbers on the products were never allotted to those products. Even addresses of the pharmaceutical companies, mentioned on the drugs, were fake.

According to documents signed by the DTL Sindh director, Syed Adnan Rizvi, and seen by Dawn, the lab performed testing of drugs taken by various provincial drug inspectors and products of seven pharmaceutical companies were found to be fictitious, having no existence, possessing fake manufacturing licence and registration number, and devoid of Active Pharma­ceutical Ingredients (API) hence declared as spurious.

The medicines include Eyosef 250mg capsules (used to treat infections caused by bacteria, including upper respiratory infections, ear infections, skin infections and urinary tract infections) manufactured by M/S East Pharmaceuticals, Lahore.

Drug Testing Lab warns these medicines may contain toxic ingredients that may be ‘life threatening’

As many as three suspensions [used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body] including Alcoxime suspension, manufactured by M/S Alpine Laboratories (Pvt) Ltd, Karachi; Milixime suspension, manufactured by M/S Menakline Pharma, Karachi; and Mirzpan suspension,

manufactured by M/S Miraz Pharma, Kasur, were also found spurious. M/S Miraz Pharma’s product Mirzolam tablets

(used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and anxiety caused by depression) was also found spurious.

Documents reveal that M/S Porm Pharmaceuticals, Pesha­war’s Lexopam tablets [used to treat panic disorders and severe anxiety], M/S Multicare Pharmaceutical Karachi’s product Zionex tablet (used to treat panic disorders and anxiety) and M/S Brom Pharmaceuticals Lahore’s medicine Bromalex (used to treat panic disorders and severe anxiety) were also found spurious.

Risk statements

Documents shared with health facilities, health authorities and pharma manufacturers associations say that consequences of use of spurious/falsified drugs may be severe as those drugs may contain toxic and narcotic/psychotropic ingredients in unacceptable doses, which may be life threatening.

They are manufactured under unhygienic conditions without the proper inspection and approval and they are highly injurious to human health. Poor quality medicines compromise the treatment of diseases and may intensify the existing conditions, the documents say.

President of Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum, Noor Mahar, while talking to Dawn, said that the medicines were being sold in the market, but the licence numbers of these products were never allotted.

Even addresses of the pharmaceutical companies mentioned on the drugs were fake, he said.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2025