India is considered the pharmacy of the world. If we talk about generic drugs, then India has dominance here because 20 percent of generic drugs used worldwide are manufactured in India. India accounts for 40 percent of the total generic drugs in the US and 25 percent in the UK.
According to an estimate, the cost of medicines made in India is up to 33 percent less than the medicines in Western countries. But a case from US may harm India's pharma image. America's Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has claimed that due to an eye drop ordered from India, 3 people died in their country, while 8 people lost their eyesight.
The eye-drop was manufactured by India`s Global Pharma Healthcare. In America, it is distributed by Ezricare LLC and Delsum Pharma. The company has initiated a voluntary recall at the consumer level of all unexpired lots of EzriCare Artificial Tears and of all unexpired lots Delsam Pharma`s Artificial Tears.
According to a New York Times report, several cases of eye infection were reported after the use of an eye drop named EzriCare. According to the report, this infection has happened due to a special type of bacteria. It is difficult to treat this bacteria with the antibiotics available in America.
After receiving the complaint from America, the Ministry of Health in India conducted an investigation in which samples of eye drops were found according to the standards. Nevertheless, this news is important because such incidents raise questions about India's credibility as a pharmaceutical hub.
And this is not the first case. Earlier, WHO had raised questions regarding the cough syrup made in India. The global health body had blamed the cough syrup for the death of 66 children in the African country Gambia. Due to these companies, India's reputation in the world is also being affected.
READ | Indian eyedrops causing deaths, blindness? Know ‘Artificial Tears’ drops controversy, why it’s unsafe
