The action forms part of a wider enforcement drive by the state’s Drugs Control Department, which has stepped up surveillance and inspections across Kerala.
Published Dec 07, 2025 | 3:16 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 07, 2025 | 3:16 PM
Banned medicines. (Representative image)
Synopsis: Kerala’s health authorities ordered an immediate ban on 17 pharmaceutical products found to be of substandard quality. The move follows laboratory tests that confirmed the medicines failed to meet prescribed safety and quality standards, posing potential risks to public health.
Kerala’s health authorities have intensified their campaign against unsafe and counterfeit medicines, ordering an immediate ban on 17 pharmaceutical products found to be of substandard quality.
The move follows laboratory tests that confirmed the medicines failed to meet prescribed safety and quality standards, posing potential risks to public health.
The banned list includes 10 commonly used allopathic medicines and seven traditional Ayurvedic fermented formulations (arishtam). Pharmacies, hospitals, and the general public have been instructed to stop selling, stocking, and consuming these products with immediate effect.
The action forms part of a wider enforcement drive by the state’s Drugs Control Department, which has stepped up surveillance and inspections across Kerala. In recent weeks, authorities seized fake asthma inhalers valued at approximately ₹2 lakh and initiated regulatory action against pharmaceutical firms such as Aswas Pharma and Med World Pharma.
Officials said the latest ban reflects a zero-tolerance approach towards counterfeit, spurious, and low-quality medicines in the state.
Banned ayurvedic products from two manufacturers
All seven banned Ayurvedic products were manufactured by two units based in Karunagappally in the Kollam district — Bala Herbals and Shiva Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals.
These arishtams are fermented herbal preparations traditionally used for a wide range of health conditions.
List of Prohibited Ayurvedic Products
These formulations are commonly used for issues such as poor digestion, respiratory complaints, stress, diarrhoea, constipation, and menstrual disorders. However, quality testing found these particular batches to be below acceptable standards.
Ten widely used allopathic medicines were also banned after failing quality checks. These drugs are prescribed for common conditions such as acidity, allergies, diabetes, pain, heart disease, calcium deficiency, and bacterial infections.
List of banned allopathic medicines
These medicines are widely prescribed for ulcers, asthma and allergies, diabetes management, fever and pain relief, heart disease prevention, bone health, and bacterial infections.
Health authorities have urged chemists, hospitals, and patients to immediately discontinue the sale and use of the listed batches. The public has been advised to check medicine labels carefully and report any continued sale of the prohibited products to the Drugs Control Department.
Officials said inspections and sample testing will continue across the state as part of Kerala’s broader strategy to eliminate counterfeit and unsafe medicines from the supply chain.
The department reiterated that patient safety remains its top priority and warned of strict legal action against those who violate the ban.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
