Should You Trust the Medicines You Are Buying? 

Not blindly. Every month, India’s drug regulator CDSCO publishes a list of drug samples that failed quality tests, so even well-known medicines can have a bad batch. Ask for batch test report, whether you buy from a local chemist or an online pharmacy.

India, often called the pharmacy of the world, has more than 60,000 generic brands across 60 therapeutic categories. The Indian pharma industry showed 6.1% value growth in October 2024, and it’s expected the industry to reach $130 billion by 2030. This wide picture indicates a promising future of the pharma industry in India and fills our hearts with pride. However, if we dive deep into it, the astounding reality will leave no stone unturned to dishearten us.

Every year, 27% of total deaths in our country caused by poor access to drugs and knowledge. According to Ministry of Health & Family Welfare 2014-16 Report, 3.16% of drugs in India are FAKE1. ASPA-CRISIL consumer survey across nine cities found that consumers estimate about 28% of healthcare products to be counterfeit, up from 20% in 2022. In a 2009 nationwide survey, CDSCO analyzed 24,136 drug samples (collected 1995-2008) and found 1,693 counterfeited. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) found 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries to be substandard or falsified.

The same ASPA report logged 52 healthcare counterfeiting incidents in 2025, almost double the 27 logged in 2018, based on news reports. Whether you are buying generic or branded medicines, a bad batch can reach you. You cannot tell from the packaging whether a medicine has the right active ingredient. So, the big question remains – should you trust the medicines you are buying?

Fake Drugs and Substandard Medicines in India: What CDSCO Data Shows

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) publishes a list of drug samples that failed quality tests every month. shares its report every month about the drug quality and standards in the Indian market. The November 2024 report of CDSCO states 2 drugs as spurious and another 111 formulations are not of standard quality. 34 drug samples were declared of substandard quality in CDSCO’s October report. In September 2024, 53 medicines, including paracetamol, calcium, vitamin D3, anti-diabetes, and blood pressure drugs, were flagged for failing quality tests.

Investigative reporting has described gaps in India’s drug regulation, including weak enforcement. The monthly failed-sample lists are often covered by the news, yet change has been slow.

Times When Drugs Took Away Lives 

In Ramnagar, a town in Kashmir, over 12 children under the age of five reported dead between December 2019 and January 2020 after consuming cough syrup manufactured by Digital Vision Pharma. The reason for deaths was severe kidney damage. Later, the similar incidents took place in Gambia and Uzbekistan.

More recently, the 2025 cough syrup deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan brought the problem back into the news

In 2022, W.H.O issued a global alert, when some children from Gambia diagnosed with serious kidney problems in late July. Later laboratory analysis exposed that the cough syrup manufactured by “Maiden Pharmaceuticals” contained unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. These contaminants were linked to the deaths of 66 children by the time of the WHO alert, and the official toll later rose to 70.

If looked into the official records, Maiden Pharmaceuticals was blacklisted by the Bihar government in 2011 for selling sub-standard cough syrup. The company was prosecuted by India’s Drug Regulator in 2018 for quality control violations. It failed quality control tests in Kerala in 2022 four times. Maiden Pharmaceuticals is among the 40 Indian pharma companies that Vietnam has blacklisted for exporting sub-standard drugs. These cases show why it matters to understand how medicines are tested and quality checked.

Why You Should Not Trust Medicines Blindly

Fake and sub-standard drugs can turn up with any brand or seller. Trusting a medication blindly can be fatal without you even realizing that your pill is the actual culprit. It’s because when a person finds it difficult to overpower their illness, they intuitively consider their disease the main evil and never think there could be an issue in their medicines. Also, we trust our doctors blindly, whatever they prescribe, we get it without any question asked. A second opinion can help, especially in serious cases. Does it mean doctors are not reliable?

Well, not exactly! The point I want to make here is that doctors are humans, and they can also be wrong sometimes. Doubting a doctor’s intention is the last thing anyone would do; they are always dedicated to helping us get better as soon as possible. However, there are cases when doctors failed to identify the problems, leading to worsening the patients’ medical conditions.

So, now the question is how is a doctor’s misdiagnosis related to medicine quality? Let’s understand this! We always make choices when it comes to deciding what clothes we want to wear, what food we want to have, but when it comes to medications, we utterly leave it in a doctor’s hand. We literally surrender ourselves. We make conscious decisions while buying other things, then why not with medicines?

Also Read: How Much of Indian Medicine is Bad?

Does Buying Medicine Online Change the Risk?

Fake and substandard medicines can reach you from a local chemist or from a website, so check the seller and batch whichever way you buy. When you buy medicine online, choose an online pharmacy that asks for a prescription where one is required, shows a lab test report for each batch, and is open about where its medicines come from. Not sure what to look for? See what to check before you order, or read our complete guide to buying medicine online in India.

What Can We Do?

These reports show that not every batch of medicine can be assumed to be good. One way to protect yourself is to look for the quality report of any medicine you buy. Tested generic substitutes can cost up to 90% less than branded medicines and 50 to 70% less than other generic pharmacies, based on SayaCare’s comparison of 50 commonly purchased drugs.

If you want tested medicines, SayaCare is an online pharmacy that tests every batch and shares the report with every order, at up to 90% less than branded medicines you can order medicine online through the website or app and get it delivered to your doorstep. Stay Smart, Stay Healthy!

FAQ’s

1. Can different brands of medication have different side effects?

Medicines containing the same active ingredient are generally expected to have similar side effects. However, some people may notice a difference after switching brands because the inactive ingredients can vary between manufacturers. These inactive ingredients, such as fillers, binders, or dyes, can occasionally cause different reactions in some people. For certain medicines where maintaining a precise dose or blood level is particularly important, consult your doctor before switching brands. If you notice a new or unusual reaction after switching brands, inform your doctor or pharmacist.

2. How often does CDSCO publish list of failed drug samples?

CDSCO releases a list of failed drug samples every month. Drug Inspectors send various drug samples collected by them to state or central laboratories for testing, and the medicine quality report is submitted to CDSCO. Failed samples are listed on the website.