Doctors still ignorant about campaign to weed out irrational combinations
Ramesh Shankar, Mumbai

The drive to weed out irrational drugs from the market was launched by Drug Controller General of India six months ago but the doctors community who prescribe these products are still kept in the dark about the developments by the country's regulatory authorities at the Centre and states.

Though the DCGI Dr M Venkateshwarlu did not leave any stones unreturned in his war against irrational combination drugs, his department did not so far do anything to inform the doctors or their associations about the mission. This has resulted in a situation whereby on the one hand the drug authorities are using all resources they have to weed out these products and on the other hand the doctors continue to prescribe these combination drugs.

"We have not received any communication either from the drug department or from the pharma companies about the FDC issue. Many of us are aware of the issue through press reports. Since there is no official communication, we are going ahead with prescribing combination drugs", said Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr Ajay Kumar.

IMA Mumbai president Dr Anil Pachnekar has also echoed the same view. "We have no communication from any quarters about the FDC issue. We get the reports from the press", he said.

There is a view among the doctors that the doctors community should have been taken into confidence before initiating such a movement by the government because after all it is the doctors who prescribe these medicines. "Personally I don't like combination drugs. But I also prescribe it as it has been going on for decades together", Dr Ajay Kumar told Pharmabiz.

He is not alone in this category. A large number of doctors fall in this category as most of them do not like combination drugs. But they prescribe combinations under the influence of the marketing executives of pharmaceutical companies. Doctors say that most of the combination drugs in the market are not necessary. It is all the creation of the marketing people to sell their products, they say in unison.

Source: www.pharmabiz.com
24th December 2007

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