NEW DELHI, 16 APR: India is banning both availability and over-the-counter sale of latest generation of antibiotics from general pharmacies in a bid to put a stop to the country's obsession with popping a pill. The move will make 'wonder drugs' ineffective.
A notification will be issued on Monday by drug controller general of India (DCGI) Dr Surinder Singh that will put around 90 antibiotics under a new schedule, HX, as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
According to a DCGI note, substances under Schedule HX "shall not be sold by retail except on and in accordance with the prescription of a registered practitioner".
The schedule, however, has two parts — Part A of schedule HX has 16 drugs and antibiotics "that shall be sold directly by drug manufacturers to the tertiary care hospitals." These drugs will have a label with a red box, and will be marked "for use in tertiary care hospitals only".
Part B of schedule HX has 74 drugs which will carry the warning "it is dangerous to take this preparation except in accordance with the medical advise and not to be sold by retail without a doctor's prescription."
A Union health ministry official said, "We are ready with the notification to bring around 90 drugs under a new schedule so that they aren't randomly used. Random popping of pills would make people immune to the last available generation of antibiotics."
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