11 March,2011 06:45 AM IST | | Alifiya Khan
Promises proactive measures like inspection of drug stores across city
Au00a0day after MiD DAY reported banned drugs were available over-the-counter at chemist shops across the city, the authorities concerned sprang into action to check the phenomenon.
While the FDA said it would begin identifying stores selling the banned drugs, the chemists' association said it was going in for self-policing and had already launched an information campaign.
Illegally sold: Some of the banned drugs MiD DAY purchased
from chemists in the city. Pic/Jignesh Mistry
Reacting to Wednesday's MiD DAY report, FDA joint commissioner Sanjay Patil asked for details of the chemists MiD DAY had visited and promised to take measures to stop the sale of unsafe drugs that were banned by the Health Ministry last month.
Random inspections
When MiD DAY pointed out that the sale of banned drugs was widespread and the 10-odd chemists visited were merely representative of the phenomenon, Patil made the assurance that his team would dig deeper with random inspections of chemist stores.
The FDA had so far focused on disseminating information among chemists about the ban that came into effect with a notification issued on February 10 by the Union Health Ministry.
"We have been trying to spread the message that chemists should send back the drugs to the companies as we thought taking action would be a bit unfair and premature. But now we will visit chemist shops on a random basis and check for the availability of these drugs and take appropriate action," he said.
In the investigation carried out by MiD DAY for the report on the sale of banned drugs, chemists in different parts of the city were visited and asked for the banned medicines. MiD DAY even purchased the medicines with a valid bill.
In the February 10 notification, the Health Ministry announced that three drugsu00a0-- nimesulide for paediatric usage or the drug in suspension form to treat pain and fever in children, cisapride for stomach acid reflux, and phenylpropanolamine (PPA), a component of popular cold and cough syrupsu00a0-- were unsafe for use and banned in India with immediate effect. In the same notification, sibutramine and its formulations were also banned for human use.
But the MiD DAY purchases of these drugs proved that the ban was not being implemented in the city.
The Chemists Association of Pune District (CAPD) also sprang into action after the MiD DAY report. Nilesh Sonagare, organising secretary of CAPD, said that over 2,000 text messages to members had been shot off by the organisation after the report was published.
"We are also sending out a circular to all our executive committee members who will distribute it to all retail chemists in their areas. We had already informed chemists that stocks should be sent back to the company, but maybe they continued to sell the drugs," he said.
"That's why we need to re-inform them. As the circular might take some time to reach everyone, that's why we sent off the SMS to all members."
Sonagare added that distributors had already stopped selling stocks after CAPD informed them and that retail chemists were selling old stock.
CAPD's text msg
Important notice to all retailers & wholesalers. Please stop sale & return all banned drugs with immediate effect and keep the records of stock returned. CAPD.
