Telmisartan BP tablets fail quality test at Nagpur Mayo Hospital, sale halted

Another drug scare has hit Nagpur's Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, known as Mayo. A batch of Telmisev-40, or Telmisartan Tablets IP-40mg, given to blood pressure patients has been declared "not of standard quality" by a government analyst after testing.

As soon as this came to light, the hospital administration swung into action and ordered an immediate halt to the sale and distribution of the drug. Instructions were also issued to recall whatever stock had already reached the market and the wards. Notably, just a few days earlier, similar action had been taken over the quality of paracetamol at the same medical college and hospital, and the halt on Telmisartan has intensified discussion since.

The letter issued by Mayo's medical store names the batch number as CHPLT416, with a manufacturing date of July 2025 and an expiry date of June 2027. The drug was manufactured by Curaja Healthcare Private Limited, based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The Food and Drug Administration's test report has been attached with the letter. Since the tablet is given to blood pressure patients and many take it daily, the news has also raised concern among patients.

The test found two major defects in the drug sample. According to the report, nearly all of the 40 tablets examined showed uneven, light brownish spots when viewed under normal light. In addition, the sample failed to meet prescribed standards in the dissolution test. These two reasons led to the batch being deemed not of standard quality.

Following this, the hospital administration ordered a halt to the sale and distribution of the product, along with immediate recall of stock that had already been distributed. The supplier concerned has been asked to furnish all documents related to the purchase, distribution and sale of the drug, along with certified copies. The letter also cites relevant provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Since the letter was issued, the drug has been withdrawn from the wards and the hospital's dispensary.

With the Telmisartan batch halted after paracetamol, questions are being raised over drug quality checks and the supply system at government hospitals. Patients and their families have voiced concern over why the medicine they take daily was not checked earlier.