[india-drug] E-DRUG: rofecoxib ban in India

["INDIA-DRUG" <india-drug@healthnet.org>]

[Please see Dr. Gulhati's message at the end.]

E-DRUG: rofecoxib ban in India
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Dear Dr Gulhati, and other e-druggers:

I need to know: DOES BANNING OF DRUGS HAVE ANY MEANING IN INDIA?

Take for example the recent case of ROFECOXIB ban in India. Even just an hour back I received your response to some one's mail saying that it has been banned by Drug Controller of India and not voluntarily withdrawn by Merck.

Fine, the end result is the Official line that it is banned in India. I just had a discussion with my nearby chemist yesterday. I was stunned to know his reply to my simple curosity to know whether he knows about the recent withdrawl of Rofecoxib from the market. HIS REPLY WAS: WHAT BAN IN INDIA SIR? HOW MANY ROFECOXIB YOU WANT. I GIVE YOU RIGHT AWAY. EVEN HOW MANY NIMUSULIDE YOU WANT WHICH WAS BANNED LONG BACK. ANY BANNED DRUG YOU WANT IS AVAILABLE. NOT WITH ME BUT WITH ANY CHEMIST YOU MAY FIND THEM. HE SAID AS LONG AS DOCTORS KEEP WRITING WE KEEP GETTING THE SUPPLY. ACCORDING TO HIM IT IS DOCTORS WHO DON'T STOP WRITING EVEN AFTER THE BAN. SO, WE HAVE TO GET THE DRUG.

Now who is to blame: the doctors, the chemist, the DCI or other law enforcing agencies or else. If it comes to doctors, should not they understand themselves to stop prescribing the banned drugs? Or is there anybody who can stop doctors from prescribing the banned drugs. Who will bell the cat? 

Dr Anupam Aggarwal, MD
Chairman and Managing Director,
Clinics India Press Pvt Ltd.
A Medical Publishing and Health Care Information Company, India
email: clinicsindia@vsnl.net; dr.anupam@vsnl.com
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E-DRUG: APPROVe (VIOXX) trial publication? (2)
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One correction. Ranbaxy has not voluntarily withdrawn rofecoxib; it has been banned by the Drugs Controller General, India (DCGI) after media outcry. There were more than 40 brands in the market; all stand banned. 

Dr. Chandra M. Gulhati,
Editor, Monthly Index of Medical Specialities
(MIMS INDIA), New Delhi 110019. India
e-mail: indianmims@yahoo.co.in

[Thanks for correction! One more reason for Sri Lanka to follow suit! WB] 

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