The revelation has come to fore after the samples of an epilepsy drug collected from a Delhi government facility were found spurious in a test conducted at a government laboratory, IE report quoting sources said.

The report said the samples of sodium valproate, critical for managing epilepsy and seizures, were found spurious during the ongoing examination of drugs undertaken after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI inquiry into the alleged supply of non-standard drugs—including some live-saving medicines—to Delhi government hospitals and the AAP’s flagship Mohalla Clinics.

The report added the epilepsy drug samples were found to have failed the tests at the Regional Drug Testing Laboratory (RDTL), Chandigarh.?

“A series of medicines being provided to patients at hospitals under the Delhi government and Mohalla Clinics were not meeting the standards,” it said.

“Sodium Valproate was found to be not meeting the standards…The drug is being supplied in Delhi government hospitals and was found to be of ‘not of standard quality’ in a report issued by the government analyst, that is the RDTL, on 22nd December 2023,” the report quoting sources said.

It mentioned the test report stated that the sample was “not of standard quality as defined in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940…” as it did not conform to the “claim as per IP 2022 in respect to the Dissolution of Sodium Valproate.”?

“In the dissolution test, out of 24 units seven units were found less than Q-15 and one unit was found less than Q-25, as per IP 2022 the limit of Q is NLT 75%…,” according to the report.

The report added following complaints of “substandard medicines” being supplied to Delhi government hospitals, the drugs controller under the health department had sent samples for testing.?

The lab reports were then sent to the vigilance department for necessary action, it said.

According to officials, samples were collected from three major hospitals—IHBAS (Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences), Lok Nayak Hospital and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, it added.