Editor’s EmulsionPSM INDIA Capsules Drug Laws & Policy Injections Pharma Injections DRUG DOPES National Injections Global Injections PSM Pill DOSE OF THE DAY FAQ Subscriber's Symptom UpComing Events Laughter Dose Blog Addict Contact Us
EDITOR'S EMULSION
Warm Greetings!
Welcome to yet another exciting month and a most pleasant Reading of our newsletter.
Please do not hesitate to mail your comments on this edition to help us further improve so please feel free to get in touch with us. You may find our previous issues on our website jagograhakjago.com or in the NEWS ARCHIVE section of every issue of The Prescription, in case you’ve missed any of them. You may also look us up on Facebook.
Stay Healthy. Stay Protected.
Pyush Misra
Editor-in-Chief
DOSE OF THE DAY
"We support the government’s objectives and mission of healthcare for all people, especially for the poor, through Ayushman Bharat scheme. As this landmark healthcare scheme expands to cover more and more beneficiaries, it will require medicines in large quantities. We will request the government to earmark about 15 to 20 per cent of medicine purchases from the MSME sector for this Scheme. It will also be my earnest desire to support and guide our SME members in meeting the regulatory requirements of not only of our country but also of other major markets like US, Europe, Japan etc,"
Mahesh H Doshi
President
The Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA)
Sponsor
PSM India Capsules
Unethical Trading Of Medicines For Hospital Use Rampant In The Country
Mumbai, 7 Feb 2020: The unfair practice of supplying medicines meant for hospital use to hospital pharmacies in violation of Drugs and Cosmetics (D&C) Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder has become widely rampant in the country. This according to sources has badly impacted pharmaceutical trade in the country.
Centre Persists With ‘Toothless’ Pharma Codes
New Delhi, 7 Feb 2020: Despite several instances of breach of the voluntary Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) by pharma companies, and the demand from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and doctors to make it mandatory, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), which comes under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has yet again “requested companies to abide by UCPMP” — in a written communication on February 4 — after the announcement of two more planned events.
Drug Laws & Policy Injections
Supply From China Hit, Govt Takes Stock Of Crucial Drug IngredientsNew Delhi, 9 Feb 2020: With the novel coronavirus outbreak in China stalling import of crucial Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), the government has asked all state Food and Drug Administrations (FDAs) to reach out to drug manufacturers and understand how much stock each has of 58 crucial APIs.
Medical Devices Trade Margins Likely To Be Capped At 30% NEW DELHI, 8 FEB 2020: A cap on trade margins at 30% for medical devices is being considered, as India and US move ahead to sign a mutually acceptable trade deal this month, people in the know said.
Govt Asks Pharma Cos To Stick To Marketing Norms Amid Allegations Of BriberyNew Delhi, 6 Feb 2020: At a time when allegations of doctors being bribed with foreign trips and gifts have rocked the pharmaceutical industry, the government has asked drug makers and their associations to adhere to current guidelines for marketing drugs.
Delhi HC Issues Notice On Plea Challenging Exemption Of New-Patented Drugs From DPCONew Delhi, 7 Feb 2020: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice on a petition challenging Drug (Prices Control) Amendment orders which exempt new patented drugs from the price control order for five years from the date of their marketing.
How Promoting Fair Skin Might Land You In Jail For 5 Years With Rs 50 Lakh FineNew Delhi, 7 Feb 2020: With an aim to combat misleading advertisements, the health ministry has proposed legislative changes of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50 lakh for misleading advertisements promoting hair loss, fair skin and sexual performance, among other conditions.
Labelling Regulations: FSSAI Goes For Nutrient Threshold StudyNew Delhi, 7 Feb 2020: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is in the process of overhauling the labelling regulations for packaged food products, has begun a nutrient threshold study to assess the current market scenario.
Pharma Injections
IPC Asks To Monitor ADRs Associated With Disulfiram And FluconazoleMumbai, 8 Feb 2020: The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) which is the National Coordination Centre (NCC) for Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) has directed healthcare institutions and patients across the country to report adverse events associated with two suspected drugs – disulfiram and fluconazole.
BIRAC To Orgainse Training On ‘Product Validation And Quality Control’ From March 2-6Mumbai, 8 Feb 2020: The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), under its National Biopharma Mission (NBM), will organise a five-day training programme on 'Product validation and quality control' from March 2-6, 2020 at KIIT-Technology Business Incubator, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.
Nine Pharma Firms In Dock As De-Addiction Drugs Fail Test Chandigarh, 6 Feb 2020: The de-addiction programme in the state has come under the scanner, as the samples of a majority of the medicines being sold in Punjab for drug de-addiction have failed quality test.
Campaign Launched To Make Vizag Nutrition Product Capital VISAKHAPATNAM, 7 FEB 2020: Biovalley Incubation Council has launched a ‘Nutrify India’ campaign to promote Visakhapatnam as the ‘nutraceutical capital of India’. Nutrition products from India, despite being the source of several ingredients exported to the United States, Europe and other overseas markets, account for just US$200 million whereas the estimated global trade has been put at $80 billion.
5-Year Jail For Misleading Remedy Ads New Delhi, 6 Feb 2020: The health ministry has proposed legislative changes to enhance the punishment for misleading advertisements for products to promote hair loss, fair skin and sexual performance, among other conditions, to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50 lakh.
Patients To Bear The Brunt On Expensive Medical Devices New Delhi, 2 Feb 2020: Patients may need to shell out more for diagnostic tests and medical procedures. Prices of critical medical devices are expected to increase marginally, with imposition of a 5% health cess on their imports.
Drug Dopes
Anti Depressants Work Well When Taken With Cholesterol Lowering Statins: CCMB StudyHyderabad, 8 Feb 2020: Considering the fact that more than five per cent of the adult Indian population suffers from depression, the new study by the a team of researchers at the centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) from a biomedical point of view, could provide novel insights of improved therapeutic activity of antidepressant drugs when administered in combination with statins. 
Two Accused Arrested Of Cheating In The Name Of Patanjali ProductsDarbhanga, 8 Feb 2020: Bunty and Babli, who cheated people in the name of giving Patanjali products, have been arrested by Himachal Pradesh Police from Samastipur district of Bihar. The arrested youth, Raju Kumar Singh, is said to be a resident of Katrisarai in Nalanda district, who was spending the last few months in Samastipur changing his locality.
Two Traders Selling Duplicate Products Of Hindustan Lever Company Nabbed Bhopal, 9 Feb 2020: Kotwali police nabbed two traders who were involved in selling duplicate products of Hindustan Lever Company (HUL) and recovered 9 LED TV from his shop at Itwara area on Wednesday.
Medical Negligence Costs Toddler's Life In Noida As Doctor Administers Vaccine Twice Noida, 7 Feb 2020: A toddler died in Sector 5 of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, after a polio vaccine was administered twice to her. The incident took place at an Anganwadi centre in Sector 5. The four-month-old girl fell ill around 16 hours after the injections were administered and died at a local hospital.
Powder Found In Telista Tablet Wrappers Palampur, 7 Feb 2020: A case of substandard drugs being supplied to government hospitals has come to light. These drugs are being made available through the HP Civil Supply Corporation and purchased by the Health Department from manufacturing units through e-tendering for disbursement to patients free of cost.
Higher Levies Hit Cos Selling Ortho Knee ImplantsMumbai, 7 Feb 2020: Companies selling orthopaedic knee implants have been hit by a double whammy in the Budget this year. With the introduction of a 5% health cess and ‘social welfare’ surcharge of 10% on imported medical devices, costs have gone up substantially across the board for medical equipment firms, which will increase prices for patients.
National Injections
India Readies Treatment Protocol For Coronavirus New Delhi, 5 Feb 2020: India’s top health research agency is working on a standard treatment protocol for dealing with coronavirus infections, said people with knowledge of the matter.
Health Ministry Releases Draft DMR Amendment Bill, 2020Mumbai, 5 Feb 2020: The Union health ministry has released the draft Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) (DMR) (Amendment) Bill, 2020 for effective compliance.
Cardiac Stents Account For 47.95% Of Total Medical Device Associated SAEs Mumbai, 3 Feb 2020: Cardiac stent was the most reported medical device for serious adverse events (SAEs) with 926 events out of 1,931 adverse events reported so far, as per Ghaziabad-based Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) which is the National Coordinating Centre (NCC) for the Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI) started in 2015.
Govt Proposes Health Cess On Import Of Medical Equipment New Delhi, 1 Feb 2020 (PTI) : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday proposed to impose a nominal health cess on import of medical equipment to boost the domestic medical devices sector and generate resources for health services.
All Ministries To Issue Quality Standard Orders: Nirmala Sitharaman NEW DELHI, 1 FEB 2020: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said all ministries will issue quality standards orders during the course of this year.
Govt’s Price Capping Of Essential Medicines Failed To Make Drugs Affordable: Survey NEW DELHI, 31 JAN 2020: Government’s price capping of essential medicines have failed to make drugs affordable, instead have led to hike in prices of such products vis-a-vis that of similar unregulated ones, the economic survey 2020 said advocating for “nondistortionary” mechanisms to keep prices under control.
Global Injections
Sanofi Investigated Over Depakine Epilepsy Drug Linked To Birth DefectsPARIS, 5 FEB 2020: French drugmaker Sanofi said on Tuesday it was being investigated over Depakine, an epilepsy drug which caused birth malfunctions and slow neurological development when taken during pregnancy. The Paris prosecutor had already launched a preliminary investigation into the authorisation and marketing of Depakine in 2016,
Indian Scientist In Australia Brings World Closer To A Coronavirus VaccineCanberra, Australia, 7 Feb 2020: In a major breakthrough for global preclinical response to the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak, a team led by an overseas citizen of India has grown the first batch of the virus outside China in sufficient stocks to cater to forthcoming studies in the highsecurity lab of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia.
Rosiglitazone Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Problems
New York, 6 Feb 2020: Researchers have found that rosiglitazone - a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes - is associated with an increased risk of heart problems, especially heart failure.
China Accuses US Of Causing Coronavirus Panic, Fear
Beijing, 4 Feb 2020: The Chinese government on Monday accused the US of causing "panic" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak, after the latter declared a public health emergency, saying it would deny entry to foreign nationals who had visited the Asian giant in the past two weeks.
Herbal Remedies For The Coronavirus Spark Debate In China
BEIJING, 3 FEB 2020: A claim by Chinese scientists that a liquid made with honeysuckle and flowering plants could help fight the deadly coronavirus has sparked frenzied buying of the traditional medicine, but doubts quickly emerged.
Coronavirus Outbreak Emerged From Bats, Genomic Findings Suggest
Wuhan, 31 Jan 2020: Many questions remain, weeks into the coronavirus outbreak. Given the early and close linkage of the outbreak to a Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, China—which also sold animals such as birds and rabbits—the identification of the host of the virus and the route it took into humans has emerged as one of the biggest, earliest questions.
PSM PILL
PSM Statement On The Passage Of S.3201, Which Extends The DEA’s Temporary Scheduling Of Fentanyl-Related Substances As Schedule I For 15 Months.
January 29, 2020 : The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) stands with our law enforcement partners in commending the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives for their swift passage of S.3201, which would extend the DEA’s temporary scheduling of fentanyl-related substances to be Schedule I controlled substances for an additional 15 months. Without this reauthorization, criminals could go back to creating a fentanyl analog and selling them across the country without punishment.
New Jersey Enacts Increased Penalties For Counterfeit Drug Crimes
January 21, 2020 : The Governor of New Jersey has just signed A-5037, a new law designed to increase penalties for counterfeit drug crimes committed in the state, reports the New Jersey Patch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any Link Between Talcum Powder And Ovarian Cancer
Washington, 8 Jan 2020: A major US government-led study published on Tuesday found no link between ovarian cancer and the use of talcum powder in the genital area, citing data from more than 250,000 women. The paper appeared in the influential Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which also published an editorial praising the research methods and calling the findings "overall reassuring." For decades, some women have used talcum powder for genital hygiene to absorb odor and moisture , either through direct application or via underwear, sanitary pads, tampons or diaphragms. The practice is more common among older generations.. Read More>>>
SUBSCRIBER'S SYMPTOM
You Don’t Need N95 Masks, 3-Layered Surgical Masks Fine: Doctors
MUMBAI, 1 FEB 2020: The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has resulted in stocks of N95 facemasks disappearing from chemist shops in the city, but doctors say the high-end mask may not be as effective as people presume it to be. Moreover, it may be unnecessary outside healthcare settings and hospitals.
Blog Addicts
Mr Rakesh Luthra, MBBS The article on the Indian Govt's Plans for Aadhaar-Based Identification Of Patients To Maintain Health Records was extremely insightful and informative.
Mrs. Shumona Sen, IT ProfessionalIt was good to learn that our health minister is seeing convergence with IT as a major tool towards aiding in efficient Pharma sector and positive healthcare delivery for India. Kudos on the newsletter PSM India.
Ms. Lata Vasan, Pharma Consultant
"The Prescription" helps give me my monthly dose of current pharma news which I eagerly look forward to in order to keep myself abreast as a more aware reader. Keep up the good work.
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