Nov 28, Kathmandu - The Department of Drug Administration Kathmandu has directed the immediate recall of Paracetamol Tablets (Cetophen) Batch No. CT 2723 manufactured by Lomus Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. from the market.

After the tests conducted at the National Drug Laboratory found the batch of the drug to be of low quality, the department issued an official directive to the industry to stop the sale and distribution and recall it from the market in accordance with Section 14 of the Drug Act, 2035.

The production date of the concerned batch is June 2023 and the expiry date is May 2026. That is, there are only about 6 months left for the expiry date, but this medicine has been being sold and distributed in the market without interruption for about two and a half years.

The department has stated that samples of medicines from various companies will be collected and tested during market monitoring and the concerned batch will be recalled if found to be non-compliant.

Section 12 of the Drug Act clearly states that every drug must be safe, effective and of good quality for public health. The same section makes it mandatory for the manufacturer to withdraw any drug that has reached the market if it is found to be of poor quality.

However, health experts have been raising questions that, due to delays in the testing process, substandard drugs may remain in the market for a long time and pose a serious risk to the health of consumers.