Context:
Over the last few years, there have been a number of incidents across India involving not of standard quality (NSQ) drugs, the most recent being the deaths of five young mothers in Ballari district, Karnataka, allegedly due to contaminated drugs manufactured by a pharmaceutical company in West Bengal.
Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs
Not of Standard Quality (NSQ) drugs refer to drugs that fail to meet quality standards or specifications. The term ‘standards of quality’ is primarily defined in the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, which means that the drug complies with the standards set out in the Second Schedule of the said Act.
