Refrain from selling banned FDC medicines: chemists’ association
RAMANATHAPURAM, SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 00:00 IST
Says the Supreme Court has banned the drugs
The Ramanathapuram District Chemists and Druggists Association has urged the pharmacies and hospital attached pharmacies in the district to refrain from selling 323 fixed dose combination (FDC) medicines banned by the Supreme Court.
The association’s appeal comes in the wake of reports that most of the more than 600 pharmacies in the district continued to sell the prohibited FDC drugs despite the ban order. “All the pharmaceutical retail outlets should stop selling of the drugs forthwith in the interest of patients”, a spokesman of the association said.
He said the Supreme Court had banned the FDC medicines based on the recommendations of the sub-committee of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board as FDC medicine with the combination of two or three therapeutic drugs packed in a single dose proved harmful to the patients, he added.
Soon after the apex court prohibited the sale of these medicines, officials had issued pamphlets and asked the retail outlets to immediately stop the sale of the prohibited drugs. Enquiries, however, revealed that the sales continued unabated in several parts of the district and neighbouring Sivaganga district.
The officials had asked the retail outlets to return the FDC drugs to the distributors, stockists and manufacturers but a leading distributor in the district said that he had not received any return so far.
The retail outlets were supposed to return the drugs and get reimbursements but “we have not received any return,” he said.
Most of the prohibited drugs, especially antibiotics – oral and injections were available in the retail outlets, especially those located in remote areas, the sources said. People also consumed them due to lack of awareness, they said. Medical practitioners also prescribed the prohibited medicines, they said.
Official sources said they have issued strict instructions to the retail outlets against the sale of the prohibited medicines and asked all the retail outlets to return the medicines back to the distributors, stockists and manufacturing firms. “We are keeping a close vigil,” they said and warned stern action against violators, they said.
Meanwhile, the association said pharmacies would down shutters in the district on September 28 and join the all India strike against the move to make available medicines ‘online.’
The Ramanathapuram District Chemists and Druggists Association has urged the pharmacies and hospital attached pharmacies in the district to refrain from selling 323 fixed dose combination (FDC) medicines banned by the Supreme Court.
The association’s appeal comes in the wake of reports that most of the more than 600 pharmacies in the district continued to sell the prohibited FDC drugs despite the ban order. “All the pharmaceutical retail outlets should stop selling of the drugs forthwith in the interest of patients”, a spokesman of the association said.
He said the Supreme Court had banned the FDC medicines based on the recommendations of the sub-committee of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board as FDC medicine with the combination of two or three therapeutic drugs packed in a single dose proved harmful to the patients, he added.
Soon after the apex court prohibited the sale of these medicines, officials had issued pamphlets and asked the retail outlets to immediately stop the sale of the prohibited drugs. Enquiries, however, revealed that the sales continued unabated in several parts of the district and neighbouring Sivaganga district.
The officials had asked the retail outlets to return the FDC drugs to the distributors, stockists and manufacturers but a leading distributor in the district said that he had not received any return so far.
The retail outlets were supposed to return the drugs and get reimbursements but “we have not received any return,” he said.
Most of the prohibited drugs, especially antibiotics – oral and injections were available in the retail outlets, especially those located in remote areas, the sources said. People also consumed them due to lack of awareness, they said. Medical practitioners also prescribed the prohibited medicines, they said.
Official sources said they have issued strict instructions to the retail outlets against the sale of the prohibited medicines and asked all the retail outlets to return the medicines back to the distributors, stockists and manufacturing firms. “We are keeping a close vigil,” they said and warned stern action against violators, they said.
Meanwhile, the association said pharmacies would down shutters in the district on September 28 and join the all India strike against the move to make available medicines ‘online.’
No comments:
Post a Comment