Substandard: Nepal drugs watchdog asks Patanjali to recall six medicines

Kathmandu: Nepal's drugs watchdog has asked Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda to recall six Ayurvedic medicines after they were found to be of "substandard quality" following microbial tests

The Department of Drug Administration, in a public notice, said six Ayurvedic medical products made by Divya Pharmacy in Uttarakhand, were found to be substandard during inspections at various outlets and tests on specimens

The medicines which failed the microbial tests are Patanjali's Amla Churna, Divya Gashar Churna, Bahuchi Churna, Triphala Churna, Aswangandha and Adviya Churna, the notice said

"The batch of medicine which were inspected by the department are found to have contained pathogenic bacteria," an official of the Department told PTI

The Nepalese drug authorities have urged the stakeholders not to sell or prescribe the use of these six medicines with immediate effect

A source at Patanjali Ayurveda Kendra in Kathmandu, the sole distributor of the products in Nepal, said the medicines have not been banned but restriction was imposed on the sale and use of certain batch of the medicines that failed lab test

"We will immediately recall the medicines if found substandard," he said.