DRAP Declares Velosef, Augmentin, No-Spa Forte and Mucaine Batches Spurious in Pakistan

DRAP declared four medicine batches spurious on 21 October 2026: Velosef 500 mg batch LX3E, Augmentin 625 mg batch YT9D, No-Spa Forte 80 mg batch AN010 and Mucaine Suspension batch 257A088. Lab tests found that the active ingredients named on the packs were not present. If you hold any of these batches, stop using them.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) issued this as Rapid Alert No. I/S/10-26-43. We read the alert on DRAP's own alert page on 21 October 2026. It follows a similar warning two days earlier about a fake Nasomet nasal spray batch.

Four batches failed testing because their active ingredients were missing

The Drug Testing Laboratory in Karachi tested samples sent by the area drug inspector. It found no active ingredient in any of the four products. DRAP says the companies named on the labels disowned the samples, which is why it calls them spurious.

The makers named on the packs did not make these batches. Genuine Velosef, Augmentin, No-Spa Forte and Mucaine from other batches are not the subject of this alert.

Spurious means the pack is not what it says it is

DRAP uses the word spurious for a product that is not what its label claims. Here the missing ingredient means the tablet or syrup cannot treat the illness it is sold for. A fake antibiotic may let an infection grow worse while you think you are being treated.

That is the risk DRAP names: treatment failure, and possible harm to patient safety. Augmentin and Velosef are antibiotics, so the danger is clearest there. If you took one of these batches for an infection that has not improved, see a doctor and bring the pack. The wider meaning of the term is in our note on spurious, substandard and counterfeit medicine.

Check your pack for the batch number and stop using a match

Find the batch number printed on the carton or strip, compare it with the four above, and stop using the medicine if it matches. The alert does not give manufacture or expiry dates, so the batch number is the only way to check.

1. Look for the batch number near the expiry date on the carton, strip or bottle.
2. Compare it letter by letter with LX3E, YT9D, AN010 and 257A088.
3. If it matches, stop using the medicine and keep the pack.
4. Call your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you took an antibiotic for an infection.
5. Report the problem to DRAP or the National Pharmacovigilance Centre.

A different batch number does not make a pack suspect. Only these four batches are named. If a pack with another number looks wrong, the steps in how to check a medicine pack label against DRAP rules help you judge it.

Report a bad pack to DRAP and keep the evidence

DRAP asks consumers to report problems to it or to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre. Keep the pack, the receipt and the name of the pharmacy. The reporting form and the online link are on DRAP's pages, and our guide to reporting a medicine side effect to DRAP walks through them.

If you bought the pack from a shop and suspect it is fake, our guide on how to report counterfeit medicine covers where to send the details. DRAP's phone line is 0800-03727, open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.

Buy from a licensed pharmacy and ask for the bill

DRAP's advice is simple: buy medicine only from licensed pharmacies and authorised outlets, check the pack for authenticity and condition, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure. A cash receipt with the pharmacy's name also helps if you need to trace a batch later.

You can confirm a Punjab shop's licence with the steps in checking a pharmacy drug licence in Punjab. Since 9 October 2026 DRAP has also required a 2D barcode on pharmaceutical packs, described in the 2D barcode rule.

Common questions about the Velosef, Augmentin, No-Spa Forte and Mucaine alert

Which batches did DRAP declare spurious?

Velosef 500 mg batch LX3E, Augmentin 625 mg batch YT9D, No-Spa Forte 80 mg batch AN010 and Mucaine Suspension batch 257A088.

Are all Augmentin and Velosef packs unsafe?

No. The alert names one batch of each product. Packs with other batch numbers are not covered by it.

What should I do if I already took the medicine?

Stop using what is left, keep the pack and speak to a doctor, especially if the illness has not improved. DRAP says use may cause treatment failure.

Who tested these medicines?

The Drug Testing Laboratory Sindh in Karachi, on samples referred by the area provincial drug inspector in Karachi.

Does the alert say where the fake packs were sold?

No. The alert does not name a city, shop or distributor. It tells drug control teams to run surveillance and confiscate the products across the supply chain.

Where do I report a suspicious medicine?

Report it to DRAP or to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre. DRAP's helpline is 0800-03727.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 21 October 2026. Product names, strengths, batch numbers, makers named on labels, the active ingredients not found, the laboratory and the consumer advice come from DRAP's Rapid Alert I/S/10-26-43, which we read on that date on dra.gov.pk. The alert's title calls Velosef a tablet while its table lists a capsule, and it gives no manufacture or expiry dates or strength for Mucaine. We did not test any medicine ourselves and could not confirm where the packs were sold.