To empower state drug controllers to issue stop sale order to drug wholesalers and retailers for non-compliance, the Union Ministry would soon amend Rule 66 of D&C rules. To know more on this and on setting up of PMRUs, barcoding of APIs used in drugs becoming mandatory, incorporating new recorded adverse effects in leaflets and more, read PSM India Capsules and Drug Laws And Policy Injections.
The country's pharmaceutical exports rose by 11 per cent to USD 19.2 billion in 2018-19, mainly driven by higher demand in regions such as North America and Europe, as per a commerce ministry data. The pharma exports in 2017-18 stood at USD 17.3 billion and USD 16.7 billion in the previous fiscal. Find this interesting read under Pharma Injections while going through an article on prescription medicines and antibiotics being sold over the counter in Delhi under Drug Dopes of this newsletter.
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Stay Healthy. Stay Protected.
Pooja Khaitan
Editor-in-Chief,
The Prescription
“One of the prime objectives of a regulator is to ensure safety of medicines marketed in the country. We have initiated Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. It gathers Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) reported from across 250 ADR monitoring centres in the country. Majority of these centres are located in various medical colleges. You have to play an important role in communicating ADRs to concerned authorities.”
S. Eswara Reddy,
Drugs Controller General of India,
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation,
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Around 40% of the essential medicines in India with lowest MRP are priced significantly higher than estimated production costs, an assessment by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows highlighting the “exorbitant” profiteering by pharmaceutical companies and the scope for lowering prices of drugs.
Two commonly used antibiotics — ofloxacin and injectable cefotaxime — have been found to have side-effects that were hitherto unknown. Ofloxacin, which is used commonly to treat bacterial infections, has been found to cause a severe skin reaction called Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS)/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) as an adverse drug reaction.
Of the 89 new medical colleges that were approved in 2011-2018, 39 failed to clear inspection by the Medical Council of India (MCI), according to data available with the NITI Aayog. In most cases, the functioning of the hospital was found to be “deficient”. So the MCI Board of Governors (BoG) is now considering the option of restricting new medical colleges to institutions which have a functional hospital for at least three years.
China Proposes Heavier Penalties On Counterfeit Vaccine Makers
Beijing, 21 April 2019: China is intensifying its crackdown on makers of ineffective vaccines by introducing heavier penalties and more stringent regulations.
Asthma Inhalers Emit As Much Carbon As A 290-Km Drive: Study
London, 17 April 2019: Asthmatic patients are being encouraged to opt for environmentally friendly inhalers after it was revealed the most popular versions emit the same amount of greenhouse gas as a car journey between London and Sheffield.
US FDA Releases New Guidance On Medical Devices Containing Nitinol
Maryland, 18 April 2019: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a draft guidance titled, “Technical Considerations for Non-Clinical Assessment of Medical Devices Containing Nitinol,” which includes proposed recommendations on what manufacturers should include in their premarket submission of a device containing nitinol, an alloy of nickel and titanium.
Mauritian Herbs Found To Stop Growth Of Cancer Cells: Research
Washington, 22 April 2019: A recent study has claimed that the extracts of the endemic Mauritian medicinal herb stop the proliferation of oesophageal squamous carcinoma cells, one of the most deadly types of cancer. The details were published in the Journal of Acta Naturae.
Arizona Couple Indicted For Selling Counterfeit Pills Made With Fentanyl, Pills Implicated In Death Of Arkansas Man
Jacob Medina and his pregnant girlfriend, Diane Erika Marin, have been arrested in connection with a counterfeit pill distribution ring that is allegedly responsible for killing an Arkansas man, the KATV reports. According to KATV, the police stated that Medina and Marin are alleged to have sold counterfeit oxycodone made with fentanyl analogues to people all over the United States. The couple was arrested at their home in Glendale, Arizona on March 4th.
Oncology Practice Managers: This “Drug Importation Proposal That Could Put Floridians At Risk”
This editorial by Michelle Flowers was published in the Palm Beach Post on April 22, 2019. Flowers is the president of the Oncology Managers of Florida. Point of View: Healthcare Costs Must Be Addressed, But Drug Importation Is Not The Solution
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is Drug Fever?
Ans: Drug fever is a common condition that is frequently misdiagnosed. It may be defined as a disorder characterized by fever coinciding with administration of a drug and disappearing after the discontinuation of the drug, when no other cause for the fever is evident after a careful physical examination and laboratory investigation. Drug-induced fever is a symptom of an adverse drug reaction wherein the administration of drugs intended to help a patient causes a hypermetabolic state resulting in fever. The drug may interfere with heat dissipation peripherally, increase the rate of metabolism, evoke a cellular or humoral immune response, mimic endogenous pyrogen, or damage tissues. Read More>>>
3 BP Readings Must For Right Diagnosis
Article contributed by Ms.Maya Chandok, Muzzafarpur, Bihar
MUMBAI, 15 APRIL 2019: The chances of a patient’s blood pressure readings not being accurate are high if not taken thrice during a visit, states a new Indian study. The study by the Public Health Foundation of India and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi has calculated that there is a 63% higher prevalence of hypertension if only the first blood pressure reading is considered for diagnosis in comparison to the mean of the second and third readings.
Dr. Alka Gupta:Setting up proper healthcare for every individual is never easy and utmost challenging, but it is essential we use our voice to improve lives of patients. Cheers to PSM India for your efforts!
Mr. Girish Rao: Applauses for your interesting newsletter. Feed us with more articles on how to cope with growing illegal online fake medicines in India!
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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.