The Prescription: 1st February Issue
PSM INDIA Capsules National Injections Drug Laws & Policy Injections Global Injections Pharma Injections PSM PillDRUG DOPES UpComing Events Editor’s Emulsion FAQ Laughter Dose Blog Addict
News Archive
EDITOR'S EMULSION

Pooja Khaitan

As India celebrated its 66th Republic Day on 26th of last month, the world watched US President and the Indian Prime Minister bond over various issues. We hope the world leaders wake up to the issue of access to quality healthcare too. The growing menace of fake drugs in the supply chain needs to tackled globally with one voice. PSM India has often voiced themselves to the Indian govt. in the past and shall continue doing so till we see a safe and healthy future for all.

“The Prescription” in its current edition covers up on various rampage conditions of unsafe/spurious medicines, quacks all over the country and action of National Regulatory Authority against it in its National Injections section. Drug laws and policies section informs readers of the newly released IMA guidelines on rational use of drugs to tackle antibiotic resistance and FIT Guidelines on promotion of correct insulin injection techniques for diabetics. Go through the global injections to catch on news of fake drug and action against it in countries like China, EU, Bangladesh etc. Pharma Injections carries news on Antibiotic resistance and more. You may find list of freshly approved, banned drugs and drug discovery in Drug Dopes section. Read this issue to know more on Probiotics under FAQs. Do mark your calendar for the upcoming events featured in this issue.


If you have any suggestions, comments or queries, please email me at pooja@jagograhakjago.com.
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 under Partnership for Safe Medicines India

"Call PSM India toll free helpline 1800 - 11- 4424, to bring cases of spurious medicines or any kind of adverse drug reaction to the notice of the authorities.
Please visit our website jagograhakjago.com if you wish to learn about us .
To register a complaint kindly visit our consumer redressal website jagograhakjago.com

Happy Reading !
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy !

Pooja Khaitan
Chief Editor , The PRESCRIPTION Partnership for Safe Medicines India.

DOSE OF THE DAY

“Consumers do not understand formulations and go after brands, ending up paying significantly more than they should. It also jacks up cost of patient care. If these medicines are sold in their generic names, people obviously will pick the cheapest option.”

SHRI INJETI SRINIVAS
CHAIRMAN
NATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL PRICING AUTHORITY
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS
MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS


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United Nations declares June 21 as 'World Yoga Day'

Jan, 2015 : The United Nations declared June 21 as the World Yoga Day. The decision, taken at the UN General Assembly, is being seen as a proud moment for India.
Confirming the news, the Ministry of External Affairs posted the following on micro-blogging site Twitter:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the world community to celebrate Indian yoga at the international level during his visit to the United Nations in September last year. In his speech at the UNGA, Shri. Modi had said, "Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day. Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature."

National Injections
Swine Flu: 173 cases registered in AP, Telangana Hyderabad, Jan. 2015: Swine flu coordinator for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, K.Subhakar on Wednesday said that in 2015, 173 cases of Swine Flu have been registered in both the states.
"In 2015, 173 cases have been registered in both states, 169 cases in Telengana and 4 in Andhra Pradesh. This year seven deaths have been registered in Telengana while few cases are registered in just the symptoms," said Dr. Subhakar, the state coordinator of Swine Flu.
Four arrested for selling vital drugs New Delhi, Jan 2015: The Delhi police crime branch arrested four persons, including a pharmacist of a government dispensary, for selling life-saving government medicines and injections in the open market. Police officials said that the siphoned-off articles were meant for government hospitals and dispensaries, some of which were for cancer patients. The accused have been identified as Shahid Usmani, 32, Sanjay Kumar, 42, Swaraj Dhankhad, 57 and Manoj Rajpal, 35. A huge cache worth Rs 5 lakh has been recovered from their arrest. Dhankhad worked as a pharmacist with ESI dispensary.Read More
Health department cracks the whip on quacksCoimbatore, Jan 2015: The medical services department has started meticulous gathering of information about quacks in the district, to be passed on to police for action. The police will soon start raiding clinics and mobile clinics run by unregistered practitioners and make arrests. A committee consisting of District collector S Archana Patnaik, the Joint Director, a Drug Inspector and a police inspector was formed for the crackdown on quacks. Pharmacies have also been instructed not to sell antibiotics and steroids over the counter, and keep an eye out for suspicious prescriptions.
12 quacks held for treating dengue victimsVirudhunagar, Jan 2015: Health officials in Virudhunagar district have cracked down on 12 quacks who allegedly treated the victims of dengue in the region, resulting in the recent deaths. Police said they have arrested the 12 and said that more quacks would be identified soon. Rajapalayam in the district has seen a high number of dengue deaths in the last one-and-a-half months with many of them succumbing to the disease at government hospitals in Madurai and Rajapalayam. Read More
Pharma firm's licence suspendedSolan, Jan 2015: Glaring irregularities in labelling injections meant for veterinary use have come to light in Rajasthan. A Baddi-based pharmaceutical unit, Alliance Biotech, had supplied these injections for human use. The quality control wing of the State Government detected the error while the 6,700 injections were still in the warehouse, from where they were supposed to be distributed to various hospitals in nine districts, including Jaipur, Ajmer, Jhunjhunu, Baran, Churu, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Sriganganagar and Rajsamand.
Drug Laws & Policy Injections
IMA releases uniform guidelines on rational use of drugs to tackle antibiotic resistance Mumbai, Jan 2015: Considering the fact that many cases of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) go unreported in the absence of a strong notification or investigation mechanism, Indian Medical Association (IMA) recently released guidelines on antibiotic resistance, multi-drug resistance and irrational usage of drugs. "This would be a ready reckoner for over 2.5 lakh doctors across the nation registered with the body to follow guidelines prepared for the first time in the interest of patient safety," says an official associated with the development.
FIT issues guidelines to promote correct insulin injection techniques for diabetics Mumbai, Jan 2015: To assist healthcare practitioners in their clinical practice, the Forum for Injection Technique (FIT) India has released the first ever evidence based Indian recommendations for best practice in insulin injection technique for people living with diabetes. Experts say that the recommendations are the need of the hour as complications of incorrect injection practices often go unnoticed. Several factors including regular inspection of injection sites, preventing reuse of needle, correct site rotation, influence the success of insulin injection therapy. Read More
IPC to enroll 30 new AMCs under PvPI by March 2015, total strength to increase to 180 Delhi, Jan 2015: Going with its commitment to strengthen the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is in the process of identifying 30 new adverse drug reaction monitoring centres (AMCs) under PvPI by March 2015. It is understood that the Commission is currently in the process of discussion with medical colleges and the government hospitals to gauge their interest in collaborating with IPC.
Pharma Injections
Antibiotic Resistance: Remains a Serious Health Threat Despite Discovery New Delhi, Jan, 2015: In light of a major breakthrough in the quest to find new antibiotics with the discovery of Teixobactin, NPS MedicineWise warns that antibiotic resistance in Australia remains a serious health problem we all need to work to address.
TN DCA starts strict enforcement of Rule 65 (2) to ensure sales of prescription drugs done with supervision of pharmacists Chennai, Jan 2015: The Drugs Control Department of Tamil Nadu for the first time, has started strict enforcement of Rule 65 (2) of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act & Rules to ensure sales of prescription drugs are done under the supervision of a registered pharmacist only in every retail store.
Cocaine vaccine soon to help kick the habit New York, Jan 22 (IANS): A team of US scientists has developed a new approach that can help addicts kick the habit with a vaccine in near future. In lab tests on mice, the approach harnessed a bacterial protein to trigger an immune system attack on the drug if it enters the body. "This response could dull cocaine's psychotropic effects and potentially help users quit," said Kim D. Janda, professor at The Scripps Research Institute in the US.
Research & innovation need to be people centric: J P Nadda Hyderabad, Jan 2015: Union health minister J P Nadda, has advocated pharma, medicine and medical device professionals to undertake research and innovation not with commercial motive but with service motive to serve the people at large. As India is struggling to strengthen its healthcare system, the Union heath minister observed that any research in the field of medicine, whether it be in the area of medical equipment and devices, drugs or even in best practices and systems change, needs to have people at its centre. “Innovation can be complete and meaningful only when it benefits the last person in the delivery chain, and those who are most vulnerable and needy,” stated J. P Nadda.
Global Injections
Counterfeit drug factory busted Dhaka, Jan 2015: A mobile court backed by Rab busted a fake antibiotic manufacturing factory and jailed its owner and production manager for two years each in the capital's Mirpur yesterday. It also fined owner Sanjay Baroi Tk 2 lakh and production manager Kawsar Tk 1 lakh directing the authorities concerned to lodge a case against them.
China FDA plans to lift ban on online drug sales Singapore, Jan 2015: The China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) plans to allow online sales of prescription drugs as early as this month, opening up the market to existing online e-commerce platform operators like Alibaba.com and JD.com.

EU Online Pharmacies will display Safety LogoJan, 2015: By the end of 2015, online pharmacies that do business in the European Union will be able to display a logo that identifies them as a safe online pharmacy in compliance with all local regulations. This effort by the European Commission aims to protect patients by providing an easy way to identify legitimate online pharmacies.Read More

Study backs organised crime links to counterfeit medicinesJan, 2015: A study of counterfeits of a single medicine brand has found similarities that suggest one organised, criminal organisation is likely behind the trade. That is the conclusion drawn by scientists from Pharma company Roche and the Institute of Forensic Science in Switzerland, who systematically profiled samples of the unnamed capsule product taken from 33 separate seizures around the world between 2004 and 2013.

Drug Dopes
USFDA issues import alert on Ipca Lab Ratlam facility Jan 2015 : The US health regulator has issued import alert on drugs produced at Ipca Laboratories Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, following which the company has suspended shipment of active pharmaceutical ingredients to the American market.
IICT, CCMB scientists find metformin can control cardiovascular disease, cancer Hyderabad, Jan 2015: A team of scientists from Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have found in their research study that metformin, a type 2 diabetes drug, has multiple curing effects for cardiovascular and cancer diseases. Read More
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Frequently Asked Questions Q1. What is meant by Probiotic?
Answer:The word "probiotic" is a compound of two Greek words: "pro," to signify promotion of and "biotic," which means life. The World Health Organization defines a probiotic as any living microorganism that has a health benefit when ingested.
Probiotics are often present in fermented products such as dairy products (e.g. yogurt, yogurt drinks, buttermilk), some juices and soy beverages, plants (sauerkraut and miso), as well as in dietary supplements, which are available in various dosage forms, such as capsules, tablets, and powders.
Probiotic supplements may contain one or more species of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium or Saccharomyces. Within the Lactobacillus genus, Lactobacillus reuteri is the most prevalent in the human body; however, supplements on the market may contain the following Lactobacillus species: rhamnosus GG, reuteri, acidophilus, bulgaricus, or fermentum. Species of Bifidobacterium found in supplements include longum, bifidum, breve, infanti, or lactis. Saccharomyces boulardii, which is yeast, is the only Saccharomyces species used in dietary supplements. In probiotic foods and dietary supplements, the microbial count is determined by CFU number.
CFUs or colony-forming units is a microbiological term that describes the density of viable bacteria in a product. In other words, the CFU tells you how rich in probiotics a food actually is and how much will be available to your body.

Q2. What are the health benefits of Probiotics?
Answer: While probiotics are often used to promote digestive health, various studies have postulated that the use of probiotics may have several protective health effects. Examples of potential proprotective effects associated with probiotics include improvement of gastrointestinal barrier function, treating diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, urinary tract infections, yeast infection, rheumatoid arthritis, bladder cancer, alteration of epithelial cell cytokine production, enhancement of antiviral activity and regulation of T cell induction.
But, there is also another side of Probiotics. While probiotic supplements are typically well tolerated, adverse effects are possible, including mild bloating and flatulence and diarrhea has been reported within the pediatric population. Moreover, concurrent administration of a probiotic supplement and an antibiotic or antifungal agent is typically not recommended and dosing intervals of these agents should be spaced at least 2 hours apart. Therefore, a generous advice from PSM Desk to all patients that it is best to use probiotic products of reputable companies and to adhere to the manufacturer’s dosage guidelines and directions for use. Much caution should be observed while giving such products to children who are susceptible to complications. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should always consult their primary health care provider before using any supplement to minimize any kind of adverse after effect.

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Blog Addicts

Manmohan Help care blogs Cheers to PSM-India for raising voice against combating of spurious medicines all over India!

Dr. Shweta Kapoor, Pharma professional chirps The various information on Drugs use, medication errors, fake medicines, policies and reforms provided by PSM India is very much helpful for healthcare professionals like us.

Vicky Mohanta, Medical Student tweets I am an ardent reader of “The Prescription” for its updated news on medicines and its various aspects!
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Disclaimer : Our newsletter endeavors to compile patient safety information from various sources . PSM India may not be held responsible for any article published in The Prescription.