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EDITOR'S EMULSION

Pooja Khaitan

Cool Summer Greetings!

Welcome to yet another edition of our newsletter.

Depression is a common but serious mental disorder characterized by persistently sad mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.

It was not without a reason that the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified depression as the theme for the World Health Day 2017. According to World Health Organization (WHO), it is the leading cause of ill health and disability. In South-East Asia region, a massive 86 million people are affected by depression. We need to take depression seriously. Read more on it in this issue of PSM-India Capsules.

Read More>>>

If you have any suggestions, comments or queries, please email me at pooja@jagograhakjago.com.
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Happy Reading !
Stay Safe. Stay Healthy !

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

DOSE OF THE DAY

“National Health Policy marks a historic moment in our endeavour to create a healthy India where everyone has access to quality healthcare. National Health Policy 2017 is comprehensive & futuristic, placing the interests of the citizens first & foremost.”

Shri Narendra Modi
Hon'ble Prime Minister of India

PSM India Capsules

Depression- Let’s Talk

Depression is a common mental disorder (illness) described by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that a person normally enjoys. Depression can affect anyone at any stage of life, it is one of the most widespread illnesses that hits one’s ability to carry out their simplest everyday tasks, with devastating consequences. Depression can lead to suicide, the second highest cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds. According to World Health Organization (WHO), it is the leading cause of ill health and disability globally. In South-East Asia region, a massive 86 million people are affected by depression.

Drug Laws & Policy Injections

Pharmaceutical Alliance urges health ministry to take industry into confidence on regulating sale of drugs through ePortalMumbai, April, 2017: The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, a representative body of 20 research based pharmaceutical companies in the country, expressing concern over the Union health ministry's recent notification on regulation of sale of drugs in the country through an e-portal, has urged the government to take industry into confidence in the entire process.

Law soon to ensure doctors prescribe cheaper generic drugs, assures PM NEW DELHI, APRIL 2017: In a major step to break the nexus between pharmaceutical companies and doctors pushing expensive branded medicines, PM Narendra Modi said that the government would put in place a legal framework to ensure doctors prescribe low cost generic medicines to patients.

NPPA starts issuing show cause notices to hospitals for non-compliance of price fixed for stentsMumbai, April, 2017: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has started issuing show cause notices to managements of hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions for recovery of overcharged amounts, along with pre-prosecution notices under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to those hospitals, nursing homes and institutions which have not abided by the instructions of NPPA for compliance of price fixation of coronary stents.

NPPA issues Guideline and Standard Operating Procedure for disposal of review casesMumbai, April, 2017: Concerned about the inordinate delay in complying with the review orders passed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) due to the non-submission of necessary documents by the pharmaceutical companies, the national drug price regulator the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has issued Guideline and Standard Operating Procedure for disposal of such review cases.

CDSCO, PvPI to soon come out with guidelines on good pharmacovigilance practices for Indian companiesMumbai, April 2017: In order to usher in good pharmacovigilance practices in the country towards drug safety, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) will soon come out with a set of exhaustive guidelines on par with the existing global guidelines.

Pharma Injections

India to see largest rollout of TB drugs this yearNew Delhi, April 2017: Seven years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved guidelines to treat tuberculosis in children, India will become the largest country globally to roll out the world's first easily-dissolvable and flavoured TB drugs. The child-friendly tablets, which are a combination of two or more medicines in a fixed dose combination (FDC), have been recently introduced through the government's TB control programme in six states, and will now be launched privately and through government centres in the remaining states this year.

Oncologists urge PM Narendra Modi to include bidi in demerit goodsNew Delhi, April 2017: The demand from leading oncologists and 108 cancer hospitals under the aegis of the state-funded National Cancer Grid (NCG), comes ahead of the GST Council meeting on Monday in the national capital that is likely to fix GST rates, including those on demerit goods. Leading oncologists from over 100 cancer hospitals have urged the prime minister to include bidi in the list of demerit goods under the GST regime, saying this low-cost tobacco product is the single largest cause of smoking-related deaths in the country.

Drug resistance making typhoid tough to treat New Delhi, April 2017: Resistance to antibiotics is making it difficult to treat even milder illnesses like typhoid, the incidence of which has gone up significantly in Delhi over the past few days due to increased consumption of contaminated food and water. Doctors said that while earlier oral drugs could cure most patients, they now needed to give injectable antibiotics to 20-30% of the patients to treat typhoid symptoms.

Beware! Obesity Could Lead to 13 Different Kinds of Cancer New Delhi, April 2017:
Highlights
• Obesity leads to 13 types of cancer, including that of pancreas
• Fat cells affect the processes that regulate the growth of cancer cells
• Around 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese, says WHO
According to a study done by United Kingdom's Imperial College, obesity leads to 13 types of cancer, including that of pancreas and esophagus, as fat cells affect the processes that regulate the growth of cancer cells in the human body. Due to excess fat in the body, fat cells produce hormones and proteins. Besides being released into the bloodstream, these are also circulated around the body and this is why they increase the risk of several different types of cancer. Fat cells are also said to affect processes that regulate cancer cells' growth.

Hypertension can increase your tension – Here comes another cause for it New Delhi, April 2017: Researchers have discovered a new cause of high blood pressure which could lead to major changes in managing the disease. In a study published in the journal JCI Insight, the researchers named the new cause as Connshing syndrome which is linked to the overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol.

Drug Dopes

Updated LIST OF NEW DRUGS APPROVED FROM 01-01-2016 TILL DATE BY NEW DRUGS DIVISION, CDSCO, FDA Bhawan, New Delhi List of New Drug Approved by FDA

Pneumonia vaccine for kids to be launched by April-end New Delhi, April 2017: Aiming to give its immunisation drive a major push and to bring down child deaths caused by pneumonia, the health ministry is set to launch pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) under the universal immunisation programme (UIP) by end of April.

Indian firm’s Zika virus vaccine 100% efficient in animal trials Hyderabad, April 2017: The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s ‘killed Zika virus vaccine’ using an African strain has shown 100% efficacy against mortality and disease in animal studies, a study has shown. A ‘killed virus vaccine’ or ‘inactivated vaccine’ contains virus that has been grown in culture and then killed using physical or chemical processes.

Quacks found selling gentamicin antibiotic as typhoid vaccine with fake labels in Kurnool Hyderabad, April, 2017: A group of quacks acting as RMP doctors were found illegally selling gentamicin antibiotic drug as typhoid vaccine for exorbitant rates to the poor gullible patients in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. After receiving a tip off, the Kurnool district police swung into action and arrested 3persons claiming as RMP doctors from military colony in Emmiganuru mandal of Kurnool district.

Fake medicines racket busted near Kolkata, 2 held Kolkata, Apr 2017: Acting on a tip off, a joint team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Directorate of Drugs Control raided a store of a wholesale medicine dealer at Raja Ram Mohan Roy Sarani area under Serampore Police Station limits in Kolkata's neighbouring Hooghly district of West Bengal on Friday and unearthed a fake medicines racket, officials said.

60 medicines declared 'substandard' by drug regulator – Check out the entire list! New Delhi, April 2017: A report released by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), a body that regulates the sales and distribution for drugs in India, declared 60 medicines – including the commonly used Combiflam and D-Cold Total – of substandard quality.

With antimicrobial resistance on the rise, hospitals in South advised to avoid 3 antibiotics Chennai, April 2017: The ICMR has advised tertiary care hospitals to use these antibiotics only as the last resort on critically-ill patients. In the wake of a growing health threat from antimicrobial resistance, the ICMR has advised tertiary care hospitals in south India to avoid at least three antibiotics used in the treatment of multi-drug resistance, The Times of India reported.

National Injections

Increasing cases of thyroid cancer in Kerala keeping doctors on their toes; no explanation yet New Delhi, April 2017: Doctors in Kerala are at unease due to the gradually growing number of thyroid cancer cases in the state. With no explanation behind the sudden upsurge, many factors are being considered. Is it some new environmental factor that has suddenly emerged that is making thyroid cancers tick upwards or is it the lasting effect of high-background radiation that one witnesses in Kerala due to the presence of thorium-rich monazite sands?

Mobile App Launched To Create Awareness Among Pregnant Women PANCHKULA, APRIL 2017: The National Health Mission (NHM) in Haryana launched a mobile-based application to create awareness among pregnant women, parents and health workers on the importance of ante and post natal care, institutional delivery and immunisation.

Doctors at Coimbatore hospital perform robotic whipples surgery on 14-year-old girl New Delhi, April 2017: Doctors at a city hospital in Coimbatore performed robotic whipples surgery on 14-year-old girl. Hospital Chairman and Chief Surgeon Dr C Palanivelu told reporters here that the girl was referred to the hospital after being evaluated outside, with pancreatic tumour called solid pseudo papillary tumor of pancreas, which is common in young women in their early 20's.

Chikungunya, dengue arrive big, early this year New Delhi, April 2017: The monsoon is months away but mosquitoes are already unleashing mayhem in the city . Officials said there has been a boom in mosquito population that is reflected in very high number of chikungunya, dengue and malaria for this time of the year.

Hospital successfully performs robotic surgery to treat patients with rare medical condition Ahmedabad, April 2017: A 37-year-old patient, suffering from acute abdominal pain caused by a rare medical condition, was successfully treated by robotic surgery. The surgery was performed at a hospital in Ahmedabad.

Global Injections

New technique makes cells resistant to HIV Los Angeles, April 2017: Scientists have found a way to create an HIV-resistant cell population that can quickly replace infected cells, a breakthrough that may potentially help cure the disease.

Both high and low-birth weight linked to fatty-liver disease New York, April 2017: Children born with lower or higher weight than normal may be at increased risk for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by the time they become teenagers, says a study.

Combination therapy boosts survival of brain cancer patients

New York, April 2017: Combining a vaccine with high-dose chemotherapy may help improve survival rates for patients of an aggressive form of brain cancer, a new study claims.

Strawberries may help fight breast cancerLondon, April 2017: In a first, scientists have found that strawberry extracts may help prevent the spread of aggressively growing breast cancer cells and reduce the size of tumours.

PSM PILL

CANADA DRUG CENTER PARENT COMPANY CHARGED FOR SELLING MISBRANDED DRUGS TO AMERICANS

Canadian pharmaceutical importer Quantum Solutions and its officers have been charged with two felony counts by the DOJ. Quantum Solutions runs a dozen different pharmacy websites, including Canada Drug Center. Dr. Kenneth McCall, of the University of New England, tested prescriptions from Canada Drug Center in 2014, and found they were substandard and contaminated.

CANADIAN PHARMACY BOARD OF NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR OPPOSES POTENTIAL U.S. DRUG IMPORTATION LEGISLATION

The Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board (NLPB), which governs and regulates all pharmacies operating in their Canadian province, has written a letter to the U.S. Congress, which bluntly states, “the importation of medicines from Canada is not the solution.”

Frequently Asked Questions Q1. What is Intussusception?
Intussusception (in-tuh-suh-SEP-shun) is a serious condition in which part of the intestine slides into an adjacent part of the intestine. This "telescoping" often blocks food or fluid from passing through. Intussusception also cuts off the blood supply to the part of the intestine that's affected, which can lead to a tear in the bowel (perforation), infection and death of bowel tissue.
Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in children younger than 3. The cause of most cases of intussusception in children is unknown. Though rare in adults, most cases of adult intussusception are the result of an underlying medical condition, such as a tumor.. Read More>>>

SUBSCRIBER'S SYMPTOM

Heat wave - Here are tips to stay safe!

Article contributed by one of our Subscriber: Dr. Manpreet Singh, Physician, Ambala

With temperatures crossing 45 degrees across northern, central and western India, the heat wave is at its harshest best. The weather department says that most of India is facing a severe heat wave. Almost the whole of north and northwest India has been experiencing heat wave conditions since April 15. Even parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh, which are relatively cool places, are facing a heat wave.

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