Most people take paracetamol tablets without consulting a doctor when they have a fever or body ache. However, health experts warn that this habit should be stopped. A shocking report reveals that more than 53 medicines sold in the country, including paracetamol, calcium, and vitamin D3 tablets, have failed quality tests. This information is included in the latest Drug Alert List from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Drug officers from the respective states check drug samples monthly and submit reports.

The list of substandard medicines includes vitamin C and D3 tablets from Shelkel, vitamin B complex, soft gels of vitamin C, Pan-D for gas issues, paracetamol 500 mg, glimepiride for diabetes, and telmisartan for high blood pressure. These drugs are manufactured by Hetero Drugs, Alkem Laboratories, Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Limited, Meg Lifesciences, and Pure and Cure Healthcare. Metronidazole, used for stomach infections, is also on the list of substandard drugs, as is Sipoderm XP 50 dry suspension, used for bacterial infections in children.

The drug regulator has clarified that 48 of the medicines that failed quality checks are included in the list of essential medicines. However, drug companies have denied these findings, claiming that the test results are inaccurate. According to the CDSCO report, many medicines do not contain the essential ingredients, and some of those sold in the market are entirely 'fake.' In August, the CDSCO issued a report stating that 156 medicines, including those for fever, body aches, and allergies, are harmful to life and should be withdrawn from the market.

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