40 products, 3 firms blacklisted in two years by T.N. Medical Services Corporation

In two years, the Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) has blacklisted 40 products – drugs and injections – and three firms primarily for failing to meet quality control norms.

According to data from TNMSC, an organisation that was set up to streamline the procurement, storage and distribution of essential drugs for government hospitals, 22 products were blacklisted for quality failures during 2023-2024. During 2024-2025, 26 products were blacklisted, of which 22 were quality-related and four for non-execution of purchase orders. A total of 14 products were blacklisted so far in 2025, all related to quality failures.

Firm-wise, TNMSC blacklisted five firms during 2023-2024 (two for non-execution of purchase orders and three on quality grounds. While two firms were blacklisted during 2024-2025, one was blacklisted so far this year on quality grounds.

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How quality checks are performed

Officials of TNMSC said that quality checks on medicines are conducted as per the relevant pharmacopoeia (such as Indian Pharmacopoeia, British Pharmacopoeia, United States Pharmacopoeia) at their entry level at warehouses through NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited empanelled laboratories. In case of any adverse reports from empanelled laboratories, the same drugs are re-tested at government laboratories in the State – laboratories at Teynampet and Guindy. Presently, TNMSC has contracts with 12 laboratories situated all over the country.

The top reason for blacklisting products is failure to meet quality standards, an official said. Blacklisting is done for products due to quality failure/non supply and for companies as a whole, for quality failures.

According to blacklisting details on TNMSC’s website, “not of standard quality” is the major reason cited for blacklisting a particular drug. “Purchase orders not executed” and “substandard quality” are other reasons. In fact, one drug has been blacklisted for the “presence of an iron piece inside the tablet”. For firms blacklisted from 2024, misbranded drugs is the main reason.

Monitoring of warehouses

TNMSC’s warehouses are monitored through the centralised portal – Drug Distribution Management System – for stock receipt, sampling process, receipt of lab reports, distribution to medical institutions and its fund management. The shelf life expired drugs are disposed through biomedical waste management agencies approved by the T.N. Pollution Control Board once in a year, officials added.

As far as equipment is concerned, TNMSC procures only equipment with standardisation certificates such as European CE/US FDA/equivalent Indian standards, they said.