Audit of 700 Pharma Companies Over Cough Syrup Deaths, Guidelines Implemented, Parliament Raises Questions

Several members, including Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh, asked questions in the Rajya Sabha, to which the Union Minister of State for Health responded...

MP News: The case of children's deaths due to cough syrup in September 2025 in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, was raised in Parliament on Tuesday. In the Rajya Sabha, MP Digvijaya Singh and several other members asked written questions. In response, Union Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, stated that a central team had visited Chhindwara, Nagpur. 19 medicines were tested, of which 4 were found to be substandard. The concerned medicines were banned in MP, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Puducherry.

State drug authorities have audited over 700 cough syrup manufacturing companies. The syrup that the children consumed contained 46% w-v of Diethylene Glycol. QR codes have been made mandatory on medicine packaging. In the response, details of drug sample testing in past years were provided, stating that around 3,000 samples fail every year.

Drug Samples Tested and Adulteration Cases by Year

Year - Tested - Substandard, Adulterated, or Spurious

2020-21 - 84,874 – 2,652 - 262

2021-22 - 88,844 – 2,545 - 379

2022-23 - 96,713 – 3,053 - 424

2023-24 - 1,96,150 – 2,988 - 282

2024-25 - 1,16,323 - 3,104 - 245