Growing menace of spurious medicine influx in Odisha, 103 cases in 3 years

Odisha Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling confirmed during the Legislative Assembly session on Monday that the growing menace of spurious medicine influx has seen 103 cases of substandard medicines being detected in the State over the past three years.

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The medication one is taking may not be genuine. Instead of aiding recovery, it could even potentially make one’s health worse. Odisha is currently facing a critical challenge with a massive entry of counterfeit medicines into the Odisha market.

Market inundated with fake pharmaceuticals

From 2022 to 2025, the Health Department has identified a total of 103 subpar medicines, affecting consumers and the entire supply chain. Following these findings, four suppliers along with affiliated companies have been blacklisted. The fiscal year 2022-2023 saw 45 cases, followed by 32 cases in 2023-2024, and 26 in 2024-2025.

Growing menace grips the market as it becomes inundated with fake pharmaceuticals, shaking the confidence of patients across the State. Profit-driven pharmaceutical operators are repackaging dubious products under fresh labels and distributing them extensively.

This issue extends beyond Odisha’s borders, with substandard drugs originating from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kolkata, and Hyderabad making their way into the State.

A troubling false sense of security is being provided by medications that appear legitimate. In response to MLA Sudhir Ranjan Pattjoshi’s query, the Health Minister highlighted these concerning numbers. Vital medicines such as Telma AM and Telma 40 have also been found to be counterfeit.

Even during the coronavirus pandemic, the threat persisted as bogus medicines penetrated the market. Following the confiscation of these drugs in Cuttack, allegedly arriving from Karnataka and Bihar, a special task force (STF) was mobilised beyond Odisha’s borders for a thorough investigation.

“When a patient takes medicines, he/she believes that the disease will get cured. After tests are conducted at a later stage, the disease escalates. Law should be strong enough, so that no one would dare to manufacture or trade spurious medicines,” a health expert, Professor Jayanta Panda said to OTV.

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Notably, this revelation has evoked widespread concern, particularly in rural the ocales where individuals frequently engage in self-medication, relying heavily on over-the-counter drugs. There is mounting anticipation on how the new government will effectively tackle this pressing issue.