Jammu, Oct 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) has imposed an immediate ban on the sale, distribution, and use of three cough syrup brands — Coldrif Syrup, RespiFresh-TR Syrup, and Relif Syrup — after laboratory tests found them “Not of Standard Quality” due to the presence of toxic impurities beyond permissible limits.
According to officials, the action followed a communication from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which detected Diethylene Glycol (DEG) contamination in these syrups. DEG, a poisonous compound used in industrial solvents, has been linked to multiple child deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in recent weeks.
An official statement issued by the Office of the State Drugs Controller said that the contaminated syrups include Relif Syrup (Ambroxol HCl, Terbutaline Sulphate, Guaiphenesin & Menthol), manufactured by M/s Shape Pharma Pvt Ltd, Gujarat and marketed by Leo Life Science Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad; RespiFresh-TR Syrup (Bromhexine Hydrochloride, Terbutaline Sulphate, Guaiphenesin & Menthol), manufactured by M/s Rednex Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad and marketed by Smartway Wellness Pvt Ltd, Sanand; and Coldrif Syrup (Paracetamol, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride & Chlorpheniramine Maleate), produced by M/s Sresan Pharmaceuticals, Tamil Nadu.
The samples of these formulations were tested at the Drug Testing Laboratory, Food and Drug Administration, Madhya Pradesh, where they failed to meet quality standards due to “presence of Diethylene Glycol impurities beyond permissible limits.”
Taking cognizance of the findings, the DFCO issued an urgent communication to major medical institutions, including SKIMS Soura and all Government Medical Colleges across Jammu and Kashmir, instructing them to alert their Heads of Departments (HoDs) and ensure the immediate cessation of use of the affected products.
Given the serious public health threat and reports linking these syrups to fatal poisoning cases among children, the DFCO ordered a complete ban on their sale, distribution, and use within the Union Territory. It also directed that any remaining stock of the banned syrups in medical stores, hospitals, or distribution channels must be reported immediately to the State Drug Controller’s office.
Officials noted that several other states have also taken similar action, prohibiting the use of these syrups and restricting all cough and cold formulations for children under the age of two.
The advisory follows a recent directive from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, issued on October 4, 2025, cautioning against prescribing cough and cold medications to children below two years. The ministry stated that such medicines are generally not recommended for children under five, and for older children, they should be administered only after clinical evaluation and under strict medical supervision.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) had also circulated an advisory to all States and Union Territories, emphasizing the rational use of cough syrups for paediatric patients in the wake of deaths linked to DEG poisoning.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the recurrence of such incidents, citing regulatory lapses in India’s pharmaceutical safety oversight. It warned that contaminated medicines could enter global markets through unregulated supply chains, posing an international health risk.
The WHO further noted that the recent deaths in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were directly linked to the same three cough syrups now banned in Jammu and Kashmir, underscoring the urgent need for stringent quality control and improved drug monitoring systems across India. (Agencies)
