Chandigarh, October 27 — The Punjab government has imposed a complete ban on the sale of 112 medicines across the state after the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) declared them substandard. Acting swiftly on the report, the state Health Department issued strict orders prohibiting the use and sale of these drugs with immediate effect.
Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh issued a written directive to all district health officials and pharmacies, instructing them to ensure that the listed medicines are not sold or administered to any patient. “Your health is the top priority of the Punjab government,” the minister said, urging citizens to report any pharmacy found selling the banned medicines.
The banned medicines include drugs used for the treatment of serious illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, infections, pain, swelling, anaemia and epilepsy.
A few days earlier, the state had already prohibited the use of eight medicines, including the cough syrup Coldrif, which was linked to the deaths of more than 20 children in Madhya Pradesh.
According to the CDSCO’s September 2025 report, drug samples were tested in 52 laboratories across India. Out of these, 52 medicines failed to meet central standards and 60 failed at the state level. The highest number of failed samples came from Himachal Pradesh (49), followed by Gujarat (16), Uttarakhand (12), Punjab (11) and Madhya Pradesh (6).
The Punjab Health Department has issued notices to the manufacturers of the 11 failed drug samples produced within the state. Officials said the process to remove these substandard batches from the market has been expedited to ensure public safety.
