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.
“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
How pure is the water that your family drinks?
Visit www.WaterConsumer.org to know the Drinking Water Standards.
Join the movement to demand safe drinking water made available to all by the Government from our Tax money in the upcoming budget and convince Modi Government to make it mandatory for all the State Governments to assure access.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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!