15 medicines found substandard, counterfeit

Antibiotics, eye and ear preparations, mouthwashes and baby-care products among flagged items

KARACHI:

Medicines that promise relief may be offering little more than a false assurance, as laboratory tests have exposed 15 substandard, counterfeit and unregistered pharmaceutical products being sold at medical stores in the metropolitan city.

The flagged products include commonly used antibiotics, painkillers, eye and ear preparations, mouthwashes, baby-care products and other medicines. Chemical analysis revealed that ingredients declared on their packaging were not present in the products, raising concerns about the quality of medicines.

Director of the Sindh Drug Testing Laboratory Syed Adnan Rizvi told The Express Tribune on Friday that drug inspectors had collected 15 samples from medical stores in Karachi's south and central districts and sent them for chemical examination.

The laboratory found all 15 samples to be substandard and counterfeit, with some also classified as unregistered, he said.

The products identified include Baby Eye Care, Tobramycin Ophthalmic Solution, Total Care Mouthwash, Magic Lotion, Anti Plaque Mouthwash, Denziclor Mouthwash, Happy Tooth Kid Mouthwash, Babycare Ear Cream and Vital Ear Cream.

The list also includes five medicines: the antibiotics Velosef and Augmentin, the painkiller Nospa Forte, Mucaine syrup and Brexin tablets.

According to Rizvi, the chemical composition of the tested products did not match the ingredients declared on their packagings, indicating that the medicines did not contain the specified active ingredients.

In a letter dated October 28, 2026, signed by Rizvi, the laboratory declared the products substandard, counterfeit and unregistered under the Drugs Act 1976 and the DRAP Act 2012.

The letter has also been forwarded to the provincial drug inspector and the secretary of the Sindh Quality Control Board for further action.

Warning about the potential consequences, Rizvi said substandard medicines might fail to produce the desired therapeutic effect and, in some cases, could prove harmful to patients.

The findings have raised concerns about the sale of potentially ineffective medicines through retail pharmacies, particularly antibiotics, whose inadequate or absent active ingredients could leave infections untreated.

The laboratory's findings have also placed the spotlight on drug inspection and regulatory enforcement, with further action required against the sale and distribution of the identified products.