Hyderabad: The Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana, launched a bulk SMS alert system to quickly notify pharmacies and wholesalers across the state about drugs found to be not of standard quality (NSQ), commonly referred to as substandard medicines.Under the new system, the DCA will send instant SMS alerts to all medical shops in Telangana as soon as a medicine is declared NSQ by the drugs control laboratory. The alerts will direct retailers to immediately stop the sale and distribution of the identified drug to prevent it from reaching patients. According to the department, medicines classified as NSQ are those that fail laboratory quality tests such as assay, disintegration and dissolution. Such drugs may not work effectively in treating diseases and could potentially compromise patient safety. Officials said the digital alert platform will help ensure the rapid recall of substandard medicines from the market. By informing all stakeholders, including retail pharmacies and wholesalers, at the earliest stage, the system is expected to enable quicker action to remove unsafe drugs from circulation.“The initiative will strengthen drug safety monitoring and improve transparency by directly communicating details of NSQ medicines to all sales units across Telangana. This will allow pharmacies to take prompt corrective steps and help protect the public from ineffective medicines,” an official said.
