Chemists express inability to return banned drugs immediately

Mumbai:The All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists, have expressed inability in prompt return of banned fixed dose combination drugs in a statement to the Health Ministry.

According to Economic Times the organization , a lobby group of 750,000 wholesalers and retail chemists, in a statement to the department of health has made it explicitly clear that the 'unpleasant action' would take at least a month for all to return the banned compositions; in most cases requiring shutting down of shops to return the stocks across supply chains.

Through a March 10 gazette notification, the government had banned the sale of 344 fixed dose combination drugs. A fixed dose combination drug is a mix of two or more drugs in a single dose. Some reports quoting government sources suggest that a further set of 500 drugs may also face the ban soon.

In a March 14 letter to K L Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the organization of chemists and druggists stated that the current situation wherein 5,000 drugs from the list of banned drugs were available in the market, it would be difficult to find the brands of molecules that would allow them to discontinue the sale of the present ones with immediate effect.

The letter questioned the ministry about why the ' irrational' fixed dose combinations had in the first place been allowed by the licensing authority, to be sold to patients for the past several years. The letter was signed by JS Shinde, President , All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists, and Suresh Gupta, General Secretary

Meanwhile, a PharmaTrac market research study shows the ban may wipe out Rs 3,049 crore worth of brands from the Indian market, or about 3.1% of total sales of Rs 98,042 crore, recorded till February.