India Cracks Down on Cough Syrup Safety After Child Fatalities

In response to a devastating incident where a toxic cough syrup batch led to the deaths of around 20 children, India’s central government is enforcing a significant tightening of drug quality control measures. The Directorate General of Health Services has directed all states and Union Territories to enhance their testing procedures for pharmaceutical products, including rigorous pre-release testing of every medicine batch. This includes stringent checks on raw materials and finished goods, ensuring compliance with the Drugs Rules, and verifying that all ingredients are sourced from authorized suppliers. This proactive measure is a direct response to the chilling discovery of diethylene glycol (DEG) contamination at levels 500 times the permissible limit in the implicated syrup.