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| Dr Varinder seeks crackdown on unprescribed drug sales in J&K | | |
early times report
JAMMU, Oct 7: Expressing his grave concern over the recent deaths of about 15 children mostly under five in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan reportedly after consuming contaminated cough syrup, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Co-Convenor, Health Cell, J&K BJP, Dr. Varinder Sharma has said that many chemists in Jammu and Kashmir are continuing to sell medicines without any proper prescriptions issued from doctors be it in private sector of government run hospitals. This practice, he said must immediately be ceased for the safety of patients especially children.
Jammu and Kashmir, he said had already witnessed deaths of about 12 children in 2020 in Ramnagar area of district Udhampur when they were administered cough syrups.
The children had died from acute kidney failure after consuming a cough syrup called Coldbest-PC. Medical investigation had confirmed that the children were poisoned by diethylene glycol (DEG), which was found in a faulty batch of the cough syrup Coldbest-PC.
The toxic substance that they consumed had caused acute kidney failure, and in some cases, damaged multiple organs including the brain and liver.
Dr Varinder Sharma said
Although the government of Jammu and Kashmir is believed to have taken cognisance of the matter and issued necessary instructions yet there is a dire need of launching a campaign to ensure that no one purchases or sells medicines without proper prescriptions.
The government must ensure that such substandard medicines or those manufactured in illegally established pharmaceutical companies do not find their way in the market.
A proper investigation and an in-depth survey is also required to be conducted by the health department as well as drug controllers to ensure that illegally produced and substandard medicine do not sneak into markets.
He said that Food & Drugs Administration, Heads of Paediatrics Departments of all Government Medical Colleges, Drugs Control Organisation at all levels, private hospitals, drug stores and medical supplies department in GMC must all be issued advisories for the safety of patients and especially children.
The situation had become so alarming that even the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories about cough and cold medications wherein strict instructions have been issued to not to prescribe such wrong medicines to children of all age groups especially below two years of age.
Dr Varinder also added that usage of medicines must also be regulated and all clinical evaluations assessed before recommending dosage on prescriptions duly written on letterheads and signed by concerned doctors. He asked the government to ask their Drugs Control Officers to launch a checking on the ground and ensure that no pone sells or buys medicines over-the-counter (OTC) without prescription.
These officials must also be asked to conduct regular sampling and testing under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act and punish the guilty if any under law which goes up to cancelling their licenses as well.
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