Srinagar: Srinagar’s Khyber Medical Institute has been prima facie cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter of an expired medicine detected at its pharmacy, with drug control officials fixing responsibility on the distributor and the manufacturing company for the supply lapse.
Officials from the Drug Control Department said notices have been formally issued to both the distributor and the pharmaceutical company after it emerged that a strip of medicine supplied to Khyber carried conflicting expiry dates. While the outer packaging and purchase bill mentioned the expiry as 2026, the inner strip reportedly carried a 2025 expiry, misleading the pharmacy at the time of procurement.
An official from Khyber Medical Institute told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the pharmacy had purchased a limited number of medicine strips from a distributor on November 11 and recorded the expiry date strictly as provided in the supply documents. The discrepancy came to light only after a patient opened the strip and raised an alert, following which the institute immediately cooperated with drug authorities.
The Assistant Drug Controller sealed the pharmacy store as part of standard procedure, though officials stressed that this did not imply culpability on the part of the medical institute. A senior drug department official said preliminary verification suggests that Khyber followed due process, and the fault appears to lie entirely with the distributor and the company involved in the supply chain.
“Khyber Medical Institute has maintained transparency and extended full cooperation during inspections. At this stage, there is no indication of negligence on their part,” the official said, adding that the probe is focused on how incorrect expiry details were passed down the supply line.
The case has brought renewed focus on accountability within the pharmaceutical supply system, with officials indicating that strict action will follow against the distributor and manufacturer if violations are established. [KNT]
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