Self Medication? Spurt In Sale Of Paracetamol and Antibiotics

Bhopal, 8 Oct 2020: 

Consumption to medicines like Paracetamol for fever, immunity boosters like vitamin C tablets and antibiotics, which are used for treatment of sore throat have increased in the city amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Retailers as well as wholesalers claim that there has been an increase of more than 40% in the sale of vitamin C tablets and more than 25% increase has been reported in the sale of tablets like Paracetamol used in fever and antibiotics like Azithromycin, which is used for the treatment of sore throat.

However, it is equally important that a majority of the sales increase has been in the generic medicine segment, not the ethical and branded medicines.

This is probably because ethical medicines are higher in cost and are normally sold on prescription, but generic medicines are cheaper and consumers demand them on their own.

But at the same time, there has been slump in demand for cough syrups.

“There is at least 50% decrease in cough syrup sales all across, compared to the previous year as it is highly regulated and people normally do not sell them without prescription. And since doctors were not available for quite a long time, its overall sales have gone down,” said a pharma wholesaler, requesting anonymity.

On the other hand, pharma dealers claim that the sales of other medicines related to fever and other symptoms have increased significantly.

“Roughly, the sales of vitamin C medicines have increased by more than 40%. Similarly, sales of medicines like Paracetamol and Azithromycin have also increased by nearly 20% in Covid-19 times, while the sales of cough syrups have nearly remained stagnant,” Mohit Bajaj, from Bajaj drug house, which supplies medicines all over the state, told TOI.

Similar views were expressed by the president of Bhopal Chemists Association, Lalit Jain.

“There are 2,912 medicine shops in the state capital and people have become aware and a major portion have gone for selfmedication, primarily because clinics were not open initially and sales of medicines like Paracetamol, Azithromycin, vitamin C have increased by even 80-90% in some cases. But now, it is slowing down. This also reflects awareness among the people. Sales of generic medicines was higher than ethical medicines, as normally people do not purchase ethical medicines on their own,” Jain said.

Another medicine supplier, who only deals with ethical medicine sales, requesting anonymity, said, “It is basically the fact that chemists have prescribed generic medicines on their own and people have gone for self-medication. The sale of ethical medicines have not seen much increase.”

Similar views were expressed by another dealer: “We only supply ethical medicines, our sales have not increased significantly, majority of sales has increased in generic medicine category.”

Sources said that the trend clearly signifies that a large number of people have either resorted to go for self-medication instead of moving to fever clinics—as it was also evident by the views of senior health officials, additional chief secretary health, Mohammed Suleman had told TOI, “People are not voluntarily coming for Covid-19 tests at fever clinics. Or it could also be the fact that out of fear and awareness, people rushed for self-medication in case of minor illnesses too.” The Times Of India