No child should ever die from taking something as simple as a cough syrup. But why are cough syrups from shady manufacturers dangerous ?
According to WHO, in the last 3 years, over 300 children have died from taking cough syrups – Gambia, Uzbekistan, Cameroon, India are some of the worst affected places.
Glycerin and propylene glycol are used to sweeten syrups. They are sourced from industrial suppliers. If the supplier is not careful, they may get contaminated with ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol (DEG). As always, there’s an element of $$$ too. Pharmaceutical grade ingredients are costlier than industrial grade ingredients.
In the recent case, Coldrif syrup from Sresun pharmaceuticals in Kanchipuram, TN got contaminated with DEG. The syrup had 48.6% DEG. The permissible upper limit is 0.1 %
The syrup had 480 times the permitted amount of DEG.
When kids took this syrup, they inadvertently swallowed poison.
How can I know if the syrup is sweet because of DEG ?
You can’t. That’s why we have a government apparatus to check.
WHO recommends two tier testing for excipients :
- Thin layer chromatography for screening
- Gas chromatography for confirmation
As you can imagine, no doctor can do this in his clinic.
What we need :
- mandatory batch testing (two tier)
- supplier traceability
- Accountability for supplier, manufacturer, drug inspector, regulatory bodies
What we do :
Blame the doctor 🤡
A doctor is crucified for everyone else’s sins
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