500
more drugs may face ban
Around 500 more
medicines, including popular antibiotics and anti-diabetic drugs, may soon face
a ban for being "irrational", unsafe and inefficacious, official
sources said. The health ministry, which banned 344 fixed-dose combinations
(FDCs) including popular cough syrups like Phensedyl, Corex and Benadryl last
week, is evaluating a list of over 6,000 products. According to a senior
official, at least 1,000 such FDCs are currently under "severe
scrutiny" and 500 of them are likely to face a ban within six months.
"There is
primary evidence in around 1,000 cases, which shows these are irrational FDCs.
However, in some cases the data is incomplete so we have asked for further
studies. In around 500 cases, we are at the last leg and waiting for some
documents," an official told TOI.
TOI was the
first to report the ban on 344 FDCs including Phensedyl and Corex on Saturday .
The health
ministry is of the view that irrational FDCs are causing anti-microbial
resistance and in some cases the toxicity is so high that it can even lead to
failure of organs. There are also concerns many of these FDCs being available
over-the-counter without doctors' prescription, which is leading to their
misuse.
Meanwhile, the
Delhi High Court on Monday granted Pfizer a stay order, pending a further
hearing, on the ban on its popular cough syrup Corex.
While some drug
makers including Pfizer have argued that some of the banned drugs have been
available in India for around 30 years to make a point for safety and efficacy
, health ministry officials argue that a long market life is not enough to
prove safety . "Just because adverse events have not come to notice or
have not been reported so far does not mean we ignore scientific evidence
showing discrepancies," the official said.
While many of
these products are sold at the chemists level, officials and health experts say
often adverse events are not reported because patients do not come back to
doctors unless these drugs are used repetitively, leading to severe problems.
Source: www.timesofindia.com
15.03.2016
Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a
diamond in the rough
Mary McLeod Bethune
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