Bengaluru doctors back centre’s ban on 14 combination drugs
BENGALURU: The Union ministry’s ban on 14 fixed-dose combination drugs was welcomed by doctors here, saying the drugs are ‘irrational combinations’ causing unwanted side effects. Raj Vaidya, a community pharmacist, said nimesulide is a drug banned in several countries, but used extensively in India.
“About 2-3 lakh branded drugs are circulating in the Indian market, and there is no proper data of the available fixed-dose drugs. Even doctors end up prescribing them without knowledge,” he said.
In a notification issued on Friday, the central government banned the drugs citing ‘no therapeutic justification’ and possible ‘risk’ to people’s health. The banned drugs were primarily used for treating common ailments like fever, cold and cough, said Dr Rajath Athreya, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) member and HoD (paediatrics and neonatology), at Sakra World Hospital.
Nimesulide, an anti-fever medicine, raised concerns as it can cause liver damage. Codeine cough syrup is addictive and is illogically consumed in India, and has a huge market size and Salbutamol Bromhexine can cause side effects if ingested orally, he added.
Some of the banned drugs include Nimesulide Paracetamol dispersible tablets, Chlorpheniramine Maleate Codeine Syrup, Pholcodine Promethazine, Amoxicillin Bromhexine and Bromhexine Dextromethorphan Ammonium Chloride Menthol, Paracetamol Bromhexine Phenylephrine Chlorpheniramine Guaiphenesin and Salbutamol Bromhexine.
Safety, efficacy, quality and cost need to be ensured while introducing any drug to the market. The effectiveness of any drug is proven with clinical trials, however, there is lack of data regarding its safety while formulating fixed-dose combination drugs in India, pharmacists observed.
In view of the recent controversies about made-in-India cough syrups, which led to the death of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, doctors appreciated the ban and requested the government to ensure the ban is enforced well. They also advised people to avoid using fixed-dose combination drugs, apart from few rational combinations.