Rajasthan Cracks Down on Fake Medicines; Levocetirizine Tablets Seized, Manufacturer’s Unit Sealed

Jaipur, Nov 2025 — The Medical and Health Department of Rajasthan has intensified its crackdown on drug quality violations. Under the direction of Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinsar, statewide inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturers and sellers are being carried out. Samples are being collected, and strict action is being taken wherever discrepancies are found. As part of this drive, inspections of 24 firms were conducted, leading to a ban on the stock of Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride (Vinset-L) tablets and the seizure of medicines worth around ₹20 lakh.

Principal Secretary of the Medical and Health Department, Gayatri Rathore, said that following concerns raised nationwide regarding the quality of various medicines, the state’s Drug Control Directorate has been inspecting manufacturers and seller firms. Drug samples are being collected for quality testing, and immediate action is taken if any complaint or deficiency is found.

Commissioner Dr. T. Shubhamangala said that based on a confidential tip-off, the Drug Control Officer in Dholpur collected a sample of Levocetirizine Dihydrochloride (Vinset-L) tablets, batch number YLT-25023, manufactured by YL Pharma, Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. Testing at the State Drug Testing Laboratory in Jaipur found the medicine to be counterfeit, with the active ingredient measured at zero. Following this, Drug Controller Dr. Ajay Phatak was instructed to take strict action. An alert notice was issued across the state, and assistant drug controllers inspected 24 firms, halted the distribution of the suspected batch, and seized the remaining stock.

Dr. Shubhamangala further informed that 44 additional samples of other medicines manufactured by YL Pharma have been collected, along with 9 samples from other suspicious manufacturers. Sales of remaining stock worth about ₹20 lakh have also been stopped. After the alert notice, some sellers attempted to destroy the counterfeit medicines, but vigilant officers identified the culprits and recovered the drugs. In coordination with the Himachal Pradesh Drug Controller, the manufacturing unit of YL Pharma has been sealed and appropriate action taken.

The Himachal Pradesh Drug Controller reported that the company’s manufacturing activities had already been suspended since 29 March 2025 until further orders. Drug controllers from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand previously held a joint meeting to coordinate efforts to prevent the production and sale of counterfeit medicines. Two teams from Rajasthan have also been sent to Himachal Pradesh to assist in legal action against those involved. The case will soon be filed in court under a fast-track investigation to ensure the strictest punishment for the offenders.

Drug Controller Ajay Phatak appealed to the public to buy medicines only with a doctor’s prescription from licensed medical stores and to always take the bill. He advised citizens to check the manufacturer’s name, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates on the medicine packet. Extremely low prices, incorrect spellings, broken seals, or faded packaging may indicate fake medicines. He urged the public to immediately inform district drug control offices about such suspicious drugs, enabling strict action against offending sellers and manufacturers and helping prevent the circulation of substandard or misleading medicines.