The temps are a pleasant relief when the monsoon season is in full swing. However, while our body tries to cope with the gloom, we also experience erratic periods of fever, colds, and cough. Although the first thing you generally do when anything is coughing, you should pay attention to the fresh information that is becoming available regarding this over-the-counter mixture.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSO) identified 353 of the 7087 batches that it tested as "not of standard quality," or NSQ. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released an official report earlier this week, which is where this data originated. The main problems with these batches were the concerning amounts of ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), which effectively rendered the mixtures hazardous. These batches were also labeled as NSQ due to concerns with assay, microbial growth, pH, and volume. Although it is no longer shocking to find pollutants of any kind, the presence of DEG and EG is far more dangerous.
Get into the habit of reading labels
Cough syrups are probably a no-brainer purchase; everyone should keep some on hand in case of sudden episodes of sore throats and sniffles. But with the way things are going right now, it is highly recommended to use extra caution—even with simple over-the-counter drugs.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), EG is an industrial component that is used in antifreeze, hydraulic braking fluids, ballpoint pens, paints, plastics, films, and cosmetics. It also shares a similar profile. Because of its sweet flavor, EG is a stand-in ingredient in cough syrups. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (American), eating too much EG can be fatal because it can have a negative impact on the kidneys, heart, and central nervous system.
What is the government doing to fix this?
Given that the pharmaceutical market in India is reportedly worth an astounding $50 billion, the cough syrup situation paints a very bleak image. The Modi administration has placed the onus of quality on the producers, emphasizing that a product cannot be sold until "satisfactory results" are obtained from ingredient testing. To improve the testing procedure, samples from intermediate and completed batches must also be kept.
Cough syrup testing to be waived off?
Amidst this debacle, stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry have handed the CDSCO a 44-page document outlining possible exemptions from the requirement to test cough syrups. The testing requirements could not apply to pharmaceutical items exported to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Australia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, or Switzerland. A further portion of the report states that "if cough syrup is manufactured in a plant or section approved by the regulatory agencies of the listed countries for any product, such cough syrup may also be allowed to be exported to any country without testing at the prescribed laboratory" .
It takes time to read labels, whether you're interested in a product's nutritional composition or want to make sure the contents are all listed. But today more than ever, it is imperative that you develop this practice. Be careful!
