In early December 2025, Kerala’s Drugs Control Department imposed a statewide ban on 17 medicines across both allopathic and Ayurvedic categories after multiple batches failed independent quality-control tests. The action followed routine surveillance checks aimed at identifying substandard or non-compliant products circulating in the state’s healthcare system.

The banned allopathic medicines include several commonly used drugs such as Rabeprazole Sodium Tablets (used for acidity), Montelukast-Levocetirizine combinations for asthma and allergies, Glimepiride for diabetes, Ranitidine oral solution, and the pain-relief combination Aceclofenac-Paracetamol. Also on the list are Cyproheptadine syrup, a batch of the blood thinner Clopidogrel-Aspirin, and other flagged products including supplements, an antibiotic, and a pain-relief combination containing tramadol. These batches were declared substandard after failing to meet the required laboratory specifications.

On the Ayurvedic side, several traditional medicinal tonics  known as arishtams  were also banned. These include preparations such as Amritarishtam, Ashwagandharishtam, Kanakasavam, Ushirasavam, Kudajarishtam, Abhayarishtam, and Ashokaristam. Specific batches from certain manufacturers failed quality testing, prompting authorities to halt their distribution and use until further notice.

The Drugs Control Department has ordered pharmacies, distributors, and hospitals to immediately withdraw the affected products from shelves and return them to suppliers, with mandatory compliance reporting to district drug-control authorities. The public has been advised to check batch numbers before consuming any medicine and to report any sale or use of banned products. Officials note that this action is part of a broader crackdown on counterfeit, unsafe, or substandard medicines, following recent seizures of fake inhalers and other suspicious pharmaceutical items in the state.