Mumbai, September 24, 2026: The Maharashtra Health Department has decided to further strengthen the system for monitoring the quality of medicines supplied to citizens. Health Minister Prakash Abitkar has directed officials to ensure that there is no compromise on drug quality and that the ‘Fake Drug Detection Devices’ provided to health institutions are used effectively.
During a meeting held at Arogya Bhavan to review drug quality testing, the Health Minister directed officials to conduct regular inspections in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Principal Secretary of the Public Health Department Dr. Nipun Vinayak, Health Secretary E. Ravindran, Health Services Commissioner Sanjay Katkar, Urban Health Services Commissioner Dr. Sunil Bhokare, Health Director Dr. Nitin Ambadekar and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
One Device Provided to Each of the Eight Health Circles
The use of the ‘Fake Drug Detection Device’ for checking the quality of medicines supplied to public health institutions was evaluated in the presence of experts. Following the assessment, the state government has provided one device to each of Maharashtra’s eight health circles.
Training on the operation of the equipment has also been completed for senior drug manufacturing officers working in the offices of the Deputy Directors through the Maharashtra Medical Goods Procurement Authority.
Weekly Inspection Reports Made Mandatory
The Health Department will prepare a dedicated drug inspection programme for districts under each health circle. Field-level inspections will be conducted, and detailed weekly reports covering the inspection process, compliance, number of medicines tested and inspection findings will have to be submitted regularly.
The objective is to ensure continuous monitoring of medicine quality and timely identification of any suspicious or substandard medicines.
Special One-Month Drug Quality Inspection Campaign
A special drug quality inspection campaign will be conducted for one month across all eight health circles of the Health Department. During the campaign, random samples will be collected and tested from medicines already available at health institutions as well as newly received medicines.
Separate responsibilities will be assigned for preliminary testing, sending samples for further examination, taking necessary action after receiving confirmation reports and maintaining proper records.
Joint Teams to Strengthen Monitoring
Since health institutions across the state function under the State-Level Hospital Cell, monitoring of the use of the ‘Fake Drug Detection Devices’ will be carried out through the Joint Director, Hospital-Level Cell.
Officials have also been instructed to form joint inspection teams involving the concerned authorities, hospital system and procurement system to make the inspection process more effective.
Training on Real Drug Samples
Health Minister Prakash Abitkar stressed the need to train concerned staff in medicine-wise sample testing, equipment operation, analysis of test results and record management.
He directed that employees should be given practical training using actual medicine samples, which would help improve testing accuracy and operational efficiency.
Public Health Remains the Top Priority
According to the Health Department, effective use of the devices provided for drug quality testing will further strengthen the regular inspection system at the regional level. The department will focus on monitoring medicine quality, identifying suspicious medicines and ensuring timely action wherever required.
Health Minister Prakash Abitkar directed officials to ensure that the supply of quality medicines and protection of citizens’ health remain the highest priorities, with the drug quality inspection mechanism to be implemented more strictly across the state.
