Posted on Thursday, 24th February 2011 by Brooke Richmond
The debate over sale of internationally banned drugs in India may soon be over. Once touted as a dumping ground for drugs banned in other countries, India has recently seen the ban of many drugs.
As per the rules under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has an absolute authority to recommend a ban after a notification by the Union health ministry, said Dr CM Gulhati, Editor of the monthly Index of Medical Specialties.
The drugs were banned after the recommendations of a sub-committee of the Drug regulator Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). Chaired by the Directorate General of health Services (DGHS), the DTAB has been a part of Drugs and Cosmetics Act since its inception. The standing committee of the DTAB consists of producers of the drug and experts from medical fraternity.
The drugs banned recently were picked after reviewing studies and data which showed their ill effects. There were no indigenous studies.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Dr Surinder Singh said this will improve in the years to come. It is true that we dont have any data as of now and are dependent on data from outside, but things are likely to improve in the next two years, he said. We will be in a better position to ban the drugs based on our own pharmacovigilance programme.
Once the Union health ministry notifies ban of the drug, the drug goes off the shelves. In India it has not happened that after the drug is banned, the manufacturers are still manufacturing it, said Gulhati. But it is the responsibility of the state drug inspectors to keep a strict vigil on the market.
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Tags: Banned Drugs, Drugs
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