Oxytocin shots stored at room temperature seized in Capital
The Delhi Drugs Control Department has seized 31,700 Oxytocin injections from a pharmaceutical premises in the Patparganj Industrial Area. The injections had allegedly been stored at room temperature since their procurement in May 2026, in violation of the mandatory cold chain storage requirement of 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius. The inspectors found that although a functional refrigerator was available on the premises, no medicines requiring cold storage had been kept in it.
The inspection was conducted under the department’s special enforcement programme on the directions of Health Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh. The seized stock is a batch of Oxytocin Injection IP 5 IU/ml, a temperature-sensitive medicine that requires strict cold chain maintenance as clearly specified on the product label.
The department found that the stock had not been maintained in accordance with the provisions of Rule 65(17) of the Drugs Rules, 1945. Oxytocin is a critical drug used primarily in obstetric and gynaecological care, including inducing labour and preventing post-partum haemorrhage. Improper storage at room temperature can significantly deteriorate its potency, making it less effective or potentially unsafe when administered to patients.
The duration of improper storage, from May 2026 until the date of the inspection, makes the potential potency loss a serious concern.
The department seized the entire stock under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, to prevent any risk to public health. It has also collected details of quantities from the same batch already supplied to other locations, to facilitate stop-sale and recall directions wherever necessary.
Further legal proceedings are being initiated under the Act and Rules.
