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EDITOR'S EMULSION
Greetings!
A recent survey’s results underlined the fact that there is a need to make educated people aware about antibiotic usage, their disposal and dangers of irrational use. In PSM India capsules, we bring to light the dangers educated people are still oblivious of.
While the Maharashtra government was in the process of formulating a stringent law on the lines of the Centre's Clinical Establishments Act, to regulate private nursing homes and hospitals in the state; other state governments are working on the empanelment of hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM). Read more such policy and laws implemented under Drug laws n policy injections.
Our Pharma injections’ section in this issue deals with the Pharma industry adopting global quality standards, Abbott training 60 Gujarat Drug inspectors to implement new MD rules, a test that could help 30% of breastfeeding cancer patients in India avoiding Chemotherapy, and more such informative happenings in the health sector.
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Do not hesitate to mail your comments on this edition to help us further improve. We appreciate your support and trust in us and are happy to have you as our loyal reader.
Feedback is what keeps us going. Should you have any query or question, please feel free to get in touch with us. Write to me on pooja@jagograhakjago.com
Stay Healthy. Stay Protected.
Pooja Khaitan
Editor-in-Chief,
The Prescription
DOSE OF THE DAY
"The world has decided that by 2030, TB will be eradicated. We in India decided why wait for 2030. That is why we have made a programme to eradicate it five years ahead of the global deadline.”
Hon’ble Prime Minister,
Shri Narendra Modi
PSM India Capsules
Unlocking India's Potential in Biomedical Science & Innovation to Improve Health Care in India and for the World
14 June 2018, New Delhi: Patient Safety & Access Initiative of India Foundation (PSAIIF) in association with Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) and Indian Alliance of Patient Groups (IAPG) released a report titled- ‘Unlocking India's Potential in Biomedical Science & Innovation to improve Health Care in India and for the World’ on June 13, 2018. The report was released by Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, in presence of other key dignitaries from the think-tank.
Even educated people unaware about proper use of antibiotics: survey
In a survey of 504 persons, scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory found that 47% of people were unaware of the difference between over-the-counter drugs and antibiotics. A new survey has revealed that not just illiterate but even educated people are unaware about the proper use of antibiotics and dangers of antibiotic resistance. Scientists at the Pune-based National Chemical Laboratory conducted the survey with a select group of 504 persons covering all strata sections of society.
Drug Laws & Policy Injections
Empanelment Of Hospitals Under AB-NHPM To Start In July As Govt Solves Payment Related IssuesNew Delhi, 9 June 2018: The empanelment of hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) through state governments is expected to start in July as the Central government has sorted out issues related to hospital bill payments. Recently, some private hospitals have raised objections in a letter written to the government saying that majority of top hospitals in the country won't participate in the insurance scheme as the rates fixed for surgeries and procedures are too low. 
Formulating Stringent Law To Regulate Pvt Hospitals Mumbai, 8 June 2018: The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that it was in the process of formulating a stringent law, on the lines of the Centre's Clinical Establishments Act, to regulate private nursing homes and hospitals in the state. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the court that the draft plan for such law was already in place, and the government was in the process of finalising some amendments to it.
QCI Soon To Launch Voluntary Certification Schemes For GMP, GDP And GPPMumbai, 8 June 2018: India’s apex quality facilitation and national accreditation body Quality Council of India (QCI) is planning to launch voluntary certification schemes for good manufacturing practices (GMP), good distribution practices (GDP) and good pharmacy practices (GPP) based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines with the support of Union health ministry and WHO.
TUV Rheinland India Approved As A Notified Body By CDSCO, IndiaBangalore, 7 June 2018: TUV Rheinland India, a subsidiary of the TUV Rheinland Group, Germany, a worldwide leader that inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects, and helps to shape processes and information security for companies, announced that It has been approved as a Notified Body by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO), India.
Centre’s Nod To Provide Narcotic Drugs To Treat Cancer Patients In PunjabChandigarh: The Central government agreed to provide easy availability of certain narcotic drugs and other opioids for terminally ill cancer patients. An assurance in this regard was given by Union Ministry of Finance in a letter to Punjab’s Industry and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora who lost his wife to this dreaded ailment.
NPPA’s Drug Price Fixing Power To Be CurbedNEW DELHI, 7 JUNE 2018: In an attempt to revamp drug price regulation in the country, while strengthening implementation and market monitoring, the government is set to restructure the regulator, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).
Pharma Injections
Pharma Industry Needs To Adopt Global Quality StandardsMumbai, 6 June 2018: The Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (Oppi) called for adopting global quality standards and bring all stakeholders like regulators, industry and governments to work jointly towards the growth of the sector.
Abbott To Train 60 Gujarat FDCA Drug Inspectors To Effectively Implement New MD RulesMumbai, 7 June 2018: Abbott has planned to train 60 Gujarat FDCA drug inspectors on medical device regulations following the notification of new medical device (MD) Rules which are effective from January 1, 2018 onwards. This is aimed at equipping notified officers to effectively implement new MD Rules 2017.
A Test That Could Help 30% Of Breast Cancer Patients In India Avoid Chemotherapy NEW DELHI, 7 JUNE 2018: One out of every three breast cancer patients in India may be able to avoid chemotherapy if tests are available in India at reasonable cost to predict the risk of recurrence of the disease. These tests, of which Oncotype DX is the most validated one, are prohibitively expensive.
IPC To Work With UMC To Analyse ADR Data Through New PV System For Patient Safety Mumbai, 5 June 2018: The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), which has recently been designated as the WHO collaborative centre for PV in public health, will jointly work with Sweden based Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) to develop a system for gathering, analysing and collating adverse drug reaction (ADR) data through a new integrated system of pharmacovigilance (PV) for patient safety.
GST Notices To Pharma Firms On Free Supply To Have Wider Ramifications New Delhi: Notices sent by the tax department to major pharma companies over not cutting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on free supplies to retailers are likely to have repercussions on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies as well, warn tax experts, who found no ground for the notices.
Drug Dopes
Updated LIST OF NEW DRUGS APPROVED FROM 01-01-2018 TILL DATE BY NEW DRUGS DIVISION, CDSCO, FDA Bhawan, New Delhi List of New Drug Approved by FDA 
Fake Medicines Seized From Godown At Babhat VillageZirakpur, 8 June 2018: Drug control officials raided a godown in the Zirakpur area on Thursday evening and seized consignments of fake medicines worth Rs 5 lakh. These medicines were being manufactured at the godown and then supplied to other cities.
Cache Of Banned Medicines Seized From Mohali HouseMOHALI, 6 JUNE 2018: Police seized a huge cache of banned medicines from a house in Phase VII, Mohali, on Tuesday. Police also arrested a man but his accomplice fled the spot. Cops seized 80 injections, 1,944 capsules and 4,500 tablets of several banned medicines from the house.
Drugs Seized From Chemist Amritsar, 8 June 2018: Officials of the drug wing of the Health Department seized 12 types of allopathic drugs, including Sildenafil, Tramadol, Alprazolam and Lorazepam, worth Rs 22,000 from a chemist in Ajnala on Thursday. Besides, samples of three medicines, which were not stored as per recommendations, have been collected.
Doctors Suspect A New Dengue Genetic Variant Jaipur, 7 June 2018: City doctors suspecting the trend of reporting of dengue cases in summers as a result of possible change in genotype (genetic structure) of any of existing serotypes of dengue virus or emergence of new serotype. The dengue virus is surviving even in hostile weather conditions.
Bar Code Reveals Expired Drugs Sold At SMHS Counter, 2 Arrested Srinagar, 5 June 2018: The next time you buy medicines for your family member from drug counter at SHMS hospital, be careful. On Tuesday, police arrested two ‘pharmacists’ for selling expired medicine for allegedly wiping out the original expiry date on the medicine meant for poor patients.
National Injections
Unwanted Stents Up Chances Of Cardiovascular Disease Mumbai, 8 June 2018: Chances of cardiovascular disease increase with the number and length of stents used during an angioplasty, revealed the first-of-its-kind study that was funded by department of public health, Maharashtra.
Medical Council Cracks Whip On Errant DoctorsHYDERABAD, 8 JUNE 2018: The Telangana Medical Council executive and general body meeting on Wednesday took several decisions to rein in errant doctors, including suspension of a psychiatrist.
Andhra's decision to use auto-disable syringes hailed 07 June 2018 : The medical device sector on Thursday hailed Andhra Pradesh's move to to use auto-disable syringes for all clinical purposes from World Hepatitis Day on July 28 to prevent infection.
Maha FDA’s New Website To Resolve Consumer, Vendor Issues, Food And Drug Alerts 24×7 Mumbai, 7 June 2018: The Food And Drug Administration, Maharashtra, has planned to reach the consumers and solve their problems by launching their new official website, on which consumers and vendors alike can now file complaints and obtain knowledge on food fortification, get information about drug and food recalls and alerts. In a one-of-its-kind initiative, the FDA will make itself available for consumers and vendors 24/7 online, at: ‘Maharashtra – Food Safety Online Application (MAHFOSNET).’
Patients' Diseases To Be Recorded Online JAIPUR, 4 JUNE 2018: Disease of each patient will be registered now online under the new system developed by the health department with an intention to keep a check on outbreak of diseases.
Ribavirin Effective In Treating Nipah PUNE, 5 JUNE 2018: Scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) have confirmed the efficacy of Ribavirin in reducing the viral load in people infected with Nipah virus, which has claimed at least 16 lives in Kerala. The drug is primarily used for treating viral infection of the liver or hepatitis C.
Global Injections
China Approves First Home Made Anti-HIV Drug BEIJING, 6 JUN 2018: China has approved the first domestically developed, long-acting injectable HIV drug Albuvirtide which could be a boon to tens of thousands of HIV/AIDS patients in the country, the official media reported.
Risk assessment is central to making pharmaceuticals SPECIAL The manufacture of pharmaceuticals, and an evaluation of microbial hazards, requires a scientific approach to risk assessment. This was the key message from the recent Pharmig meeting on Quality Risk Management.
FDA takes action against 53 websites marketing unapproved opioids as part of a comprehensive effort to target illegal online sales
FDA News Release
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has warned nine online networks, operating a total of 53 websites, that they must stop illegally marketing potentially dangerous, unapproved and misbranded versions of opioid medications, including tramadol and oxycodone.
Blood Test Might Predict Pregnancy Due Date And Preterm Birth
Stanford, 7 June 2018: Scientists have developed an inexpensive blood test to predict a pregnant woman’s due date and possibly identify women who are at risk of giving birth prematurely.
Green Tea Compound Dissolves Plaques In Blood Vessels, May Boost Heart Health
England, 4 June 2018: A natural polyphenol found in green tea may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. The polyphenol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is known to have antioxidant properties, and it is already an ingredient in health-promoting supplements. But now the polyphenol is being investigated for its plaque-busting abilities. According to a new study, EGCG can break up and dissolve potentially dangerous protein plaques found in blood vessels.
Nanoparticles Loaded With Drugs Could Be Used To Attack The Worst Type Of Brain Cancer
Cambridge, 25 May 2018: Glioblastoma is one of the most deadly forms of cancer. Affecting the brain, those unlucky enough to receive a diagnosis don't have many treatment options – and usually a median life expectancy of just over a year. Now, researchers at MIT have developed nanoparticles that could provide hope, crossing the blood-brain barrier and delivering two types of drugs to fight tumors.
PSM PILL
Former FBI Staffer Argues That We Cannot Deter Drug Counterfeiters Without Harsher Penalties
June 7, 2018: This editorial by Thomas Kubic was published in The Hill on June 7, 2018. Thomas T. Kubic was deputy assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is currently president of the Pharmaceutical Security Institute. He is also a former board member of The Partnership for Safe Medicines.
FDA Sent Warning Letters To Online Networks Selling Illicit Opioids To Americans
June 7, 2018: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued warning letters to nine online networks that operate a total of 53 websites. The FDA said that the websites needed to stop illegally marketing opioid medications to American citizens and may be subject to enforcement action if they do not do comply within ten working days. A review by PSM of some of the websites that had yet to comply with the warning found a variety of opioids for sale including hydrocodone, oxycodone, OxyContin, tramadol, Soma, Lortab, and Norco, along with other classes of drugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What will happen if I repeat the dose of medicine sooner than the time it says on the label?
Ans: Medicines are chemicals that affect the way your body works. Each medicine works in a person's body for a certain length of time. The Drug Facts label tells you how often to use a medicine based on how long the medicine works in people's bodies. What will happen depends on the medicine and how often you are using it. If you use a medicine too soon, nothing may happen if you only do it once. If you keep using a medicine too often, the medicine can build up in your body to a level that may harm you. Sometimes use of too much medicine can permanently injure your liver, kidneys, or other parts of you.
Q. Does the complete Drug Facts label appear on the product's box, the product's container, or both?
Ans: That depends on the medicine. It is best to keep the entire packaging to make sure you have all the information in the Drug Facts label. This will help you use your medicines correctly and safely every time.
Q. Is a vitamin an over-the-counter medicine?
Ans: A vitamin isn't a medicine. It is a dietary supplement.
SUBSCRIBER'S SYMPTOM
Certain Antibiotics Increase Kidney Stone Risk
Article contributed by Jordan Mayer, U.S.A.
Philadelphia, 12 May 2018: A new study has concluded that people treated with certain oral antibiotics have a heightened risk of developing kidney stones. Children and adolescents seem to be the most affected.
Blog Addicts
Ms. Vaani Manchandaa, Pharma Academician tweets: Thank you PSM India. Continue the good work!
Dr. Naresh Kumar, Research Scholar chirps:PSM India is at all times trying to keep us up-to-date with the latest medication news, fake drug alerts and approvals which is indeed praiseworthy!
Dr. S. Chakravarty, Principal of a reputed Pharma and allied Health Sciences Institution states:
My earnest gratitude and applauds to PSM-India for the continuous action they have taken in fighting menace of unsafe medicines in India!
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