Archive · 31 Jul 2026
CDSCO Flags 159 Substandard Drug Samples Nationwide
India’s drug regulator, CDSCO, checked many medicine samples in June 2026.
They found 159 samples that didn’t meet quality rules, called Not of Standard Quality or NSQ.
Fourteen of those were from Maharashtra, a state in India.
The regulator said the problem was only in those specific batches, not all medicines of the same type.
They are still investigating to make sure no bad medicines are sold.
CDSCO identified 159 drug samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) in June 2026.
Fourteen of the NSQ samples were linked to Maharashtra, tested by the state FDA.
The samples included medicines and cosmetics such as Paracetamol Paediatric Oral Suspension and Kumkum.
The regulator clarified that the issue is batch‑specific and does not affect other batches.
The findings are part of a nationwide routine surveillance program to remove substandard medicines.
- Who
- India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)
- What
- Flagged 159 drug samples as Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) during routine surveillance
- When
- June 2026, alert issued July 31, 2026
- Where
- Nationwide, with 14 samples linked to Maharashtra
- Why
- Routine quality surveillance to detect substandard, fake, and spurious medicines
- Number of NSQ samples flagged
- 159
- NSQ samples from Maharashtra
- 14
- State labs involved
- Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration
- Regulatory body
- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation
- Date of alert
- July 31, 2026