New Delhi: The Central Drugs Laboratories has found 52 drug samples manufactured by various firms to be “not of standard quality” in its monthly drug alert for September, health ministry officials said on Thursday.

Additionally, State Drugs Testing Laboratories have identified 60 drug samples as “not of standard quality.”

As part of routine regulatory surveillance, the list of Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) and spurious drugs is displayed monthly on the CDSCO portal.

“For September 2025, Central Drugs Laboratories identified 52 drug samples, and State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 60 samples as not of standard quality,” an official said.

NSQ identification is based on failure in one or more specified quality parameters. The failure pertains only to the tested batch and does not indicate concerns for other products of the same drug available in the market, officials added.

In September, one sample from Chhattisgarh was identified as spurious, made by an unauthorised manufacturer using a brand name owned by another company. The matter is under investigation, and action will be taken as per the Act and Rules.

The identification of NSQ and spurious medicines is carried out regularly in collaboration with state regulators to ensure such drugs are removed from the market.