[india-drug] FDCs in India (5)

["themathurs" <themathurs@hotmail.com>]

FDCs in India (5)
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I am very pleased to see the letter of Nusrat Shafiq on issue of FDC's. One must have a balanced view and should be aware that there are certain situations where fixed dose combinations are recommended and are rational as in the following medicines
Carbidopa
Augmentin
Malocide, Cotrimoxazole
However, such rational combinations are not many. What is the problem with the industry is ALL OVER INDIA. Irrational combinations are flooded in the market. I personally hold the view that this is primarily due to the fact that the drug control and production comes under the State Drug Controller. This organization, with the exception of one or two states is 
very poorly organized, is often headed by persons who are either not qualified to do so, or are under pressure or let me put it very mildly are persuaded to toe the line by people in authority-babus and politicians.
It is high time that the Drug Production and Control should be under the Central Government, which must have the will to appoint qualified and experienced individuals who are known for their integrity, transparency and competence in the field. We need more drug 
testing laboratories a more rigorous check on quality and put a complete stop to mushrooming of the drug industry, in the small-scale sector. Drug production cannot and should not be compared with matchstick or bidi production, where any one, anywhere, with virtually no minimum requirement for the production, personnel equipment and space laid down by the government can do so.  What we need is 'quality drugs at reasonable cost'.
This needs political will and a stringent machinery to enforce drug production, quality control, and approval of appropriate authority before producing any drug including FDC's. I fail to understand why is the Government is shy; the WHO recommendations are there to follow! One must always go through the current literatures as suggested by Nusrat 
with the reference she has cited.
                                            
V.S.Mathur
MD, D.Phil. (Oxon.), FAMS
Formerly Professor Pharmacology at
Medical Institute, Chandigarh and Bahrain