TNMSC clarifies claims of alcohol content in paracetamol syrup

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC) on Thursday firmly rejected allegations circulating on social media over the safety of a batch of paediatric paracetamol syrup supplied to government hospitals, asserting that the medicine had successfully cleared all prescribed quality tests and fully complied with Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) standards.

In an official clarification, TNMSC said batch no. TN2504041 of Paracetamol Paediatric Syrup IP 125 mg/5 ml, manufactured by Adroit Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, was procured during the 2024-25 financial year under a purchase order dated August 2, 2024.

"The subject batch was tested by the empanelled laboratory of TNMSC and declared to be of Standard Quality," the corporation said. It added that several other batches of the same formulation supplied by the manufacturer had also been certified as standard quality by the Government Analyst at the Drugs Testing Laboratory, Chennai.

Addressing claims that the syrup contained 95 per cent alcohol, TNMSC said the allegation was based on a misunderstanding of pharmaceutical terminology. It explained that the Indian Pharmacopoeia permits the use of 95 per cent pharmaceutical-grade ethanol in limited quantities as a preservative or solvent during the manufacturing process, and that this does not mean the finished medicine contains 95 per cent alcohol.

According to the corporation, the manufacturer used only 10 per cent v/v of 95 per cent ethanol in a 60 ml syrup, strictly within the limits prescribed under the pharmacopoeial standards.

Emphasising the robustness of its quality assurance mechanism, the TNMSC said all medicines procured through its system are subjected to routine sampling and testing once every 180 days at its warehouses. In addition, statutory authorities periodically collect samples from government health institutions for independent quality surveillance before medicines continue to remain in public use.