Kerala’s Health Minister, Veena George, announced Saturday that the State Drugs Control Department has issued a directive to immediately cease the sale of Coldrif cough syrup throughout Kerala.
This crucial decision was prompted by external reports indicating that several samples from the SR 13 batch of Coldrif cough syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharma’s Kanchipuram unit in Tamil Nadu, contained dangerous levels of diethylene glycol (DEG), exceeding the permissible safety thresholds.
While preliminary investigations by the Drugs Control Department suggest that no stock from the problematic SR 13 batch of Coldrif syrup has yet been distributed or sold within Kerala, the state has implemented a comprehensive sales ban on the drug as a vital precautionary measure to safeguard public health.
All eight distributors of Coldrif cough syrup in Kerala have been notified and instructed to halt its distribution and sale immediately. Pharmacies and medical stores across the state have also received urgent alerts regarding this sales prohibition.
To ensure widespread safety, the Drugs Control Department is actively conducting statewide inspections. This involves collecting samples of Coldrif and other brands of cough medicines for rigorous testing. Furthermore, five pharmaceutical companies operating in Kerala have been directed to submit samples of their cough syrups for immediate analysis.
The statement clarified that Coldrif syrup is not among the products distributed by the Kerala State Medical Services Corporation Ltd.
Adding to these measures, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) recently issued a separate directive, advising doctors against prescribing cough syrup to children under two years old. Additionally, pharmacies are now prohibited from selling cough syrup for this age group, even with a valid prescription.
For children aged five and above, the DCGI directive stipulates that cough medications should only be prescribed after thorough clinical evaluation, with close supervision and strict adherence to precise dosing guidelines.