Safety concerns on rise as major accidents occur in pharma companies

Hyderabad, 23 Dec: Of late with the rising incidents of fire accidents in pharmaceutical factories the safety concerns have become a serious matter of debate. There has been a succession of fire accidents happening in chemical factories in and around Hyderabad. Last week if it was an explosion in a chemical factory which killed 4 people in Green Park at Polepalli Pharma Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jadcherla, two days later, the explosion of a chemical reactor had charred the bodies of two employees in a huge fire at a pharmaceutical company at Patancheru about 50 kms from Hyderabad.

Can a MBBS doctor treat cancer? State doesn't know

MUMBAI, 27 DEC: In reply to an RTI query on whether an MBBS doctor is qualified to treat cancer, information commissioner D B Deshpande has summoned senior health officials

INVITATION FOR BDCDA CONVENTION 2012

Pfizer India takes National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority to court over Benadryl price cut

NEW DELHI, 24 DEC: Pfizer India Ltd has taken the drug price regulator to court for reducing the price of a popular cough syrup, Benadryl, a brand it no longer owns. The Indian arm of the $68-billion US company has challenged the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority's (NPPA) price notification and penalty notice alleging overcharging, a company spokeswoman said. Benadryl, sold by Pfizer to Johnson and Johnson in 2008, has annual sales of Rs 14 crore, according to pharma market research firm IMS Health India.

There is need to change how pharmacy education is imparted in India: Dr Koshia

Suja Nair Shirodkar, Bengaluru Saturday, December 17, 2011, 08:00 Hrs  [IST]

Pharmacists want the government to introduce a curriculum in the country that is more oriented towards developing a strong work culture for pharmacist than being more industry oriented. They feel that as of now there is not enough sensitisation on the importance of pharmacists in the country. This needs to be changed so that the pharmacist can get recognition for the work they do towards the society.

NPPA drops few cases of overcharging, some cos make voluntary payments

New Delhi, 12 Dec: With the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) dropping a few cases of overcharging previously slapped against the companies, the total number of instances has come down from 812 to 807 during the last month. According to the latest document released by the pricing authority, the total amount sought to be recovered from the companies on the grounds of crossing the permissible 10 per cent increase of prices annually, the regulator sent 807 notices to recover a total of Rs.2316.87 crore as on November 30, 2011.

'मूल्य नियंत्रण के खिलाफ खड़ा दवा उद्योग'

सरकार कीमत नियंत्रण के दायरे में जहां अधिकतम दवाओं को लाने के लिए प्रतिबद्घ दिख रही है वहीं घरेलू दवा उद्योग जगत का कहना है कि दवा बनाने वाली कंपनियों की तरफ से मुनाफा कमाने का कोई भी मामला सामने नहीं आया है। मुनाफा कमाने के मामले में दवा उद्योग भी किसी अन्य औद्योगिक क्षेत्र की तरह ही है अथवा उससे नीचे ही हैं। सरकार की योजना प्रस्तावित नैशनल फार्मास्यूटिकल्स प्राइसिंग पॉलिसी के तहत 60 फीसदी से अधिक दवाओं को कीमत नियंत्रण के दायरे में लाने का है। भारत में करीब 60,000 करोड़ रुपये का दवा कारोबार है।

PHOTO GALLERY OF BELGAUM DIST.C&D WELFARE ASSOCIATION

MEMBERS OF BDCDWA

BELGAUM DISTRICT CHEMISTS & DRUGGISTS WELFARE ASSOCIATION MEETING

BELGAUM:-THE MEETING OF BELGAUM DIST.CHEMIST AND DRUGGISTS WELFARE ASSOCIATION WAS HELD AT HOTEL SANMAN DELUXE ON 4/12/2011.SHRI D.S.GUDDODGI (PRESIDENT OF KCDA)WAS CHIEF GUEST. IN MEETING VARIOUS TRADE PROBLEMS WERE DISCUSSED.SHRI D.S.GUDDODGI ADDRESSED TO MEMBERS TO MAKE UNITY AND STOP UNHEALTHY COMPETATION IN TRADE.SHRI BABULAL SHAH,GANGADHAR TURMANDI,VIJAY BURLI,PRAKASH PATIL,VIVEK KHANOLKAR,APPU TAMBAD ,PATTANSHETTI AND OTHER MEMBERS WERE PRESENT.

40 cancer drugs to come under price regulation (6/12/11)

NEW DELHI, 6 DEC: Prices of some cancer medicines may come down sooner than expected, providing relief to India's over 20 lakh cancer patients. The government has identified 40 drugs used to treat cancer whose prices will be regulated under the new drug pricing policy. But it plans to include some of these in the list of drugs whose prices are already fixed by government, instead of waiting for the new pricing policy to be finalised. "If the cabinet does not meet for some reason, the finalisation of the policy may take time

Case for selling repacked implants

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,9 DEC:Both dealers did not have a drug licence to set up shop and sell implants, which are classified under drugs, here and were functioning using the licence of their Kozhikode and Ernakulam outlets. A team of enforcement officials from the Drugs Control Department had visited several shops in the Medical College area on Thursday, as part of a drive to check the quality of medical implants being sold through these shops.

स्टेट ड्रग कंट्रोलर पर आज गिर सकती है गाज

जालंधर। राज्य के आठ जिलों में नशे की दवाएं बेचने वाले 232 पेंडिंग केसों पर कार्रवाई न करने के आरोपों में घिरे स्टेट ड्रग कंट्रोलर पर शुक्रवार को गाज गिर सकती है। इस मामले को लेकर सेहत मंत्री सतपाल गोसाईं ने शुक्रवार को चंडीगढ़ में बैठक बुलाई है। इसमें प्रिंसिपल सचिव, विभाग के डायरेक्टर और स्टेट ड्रग कंट्रोलर भी शामिल होंगे। बैठक में स्टेट ड्रग कंट्रोलर से नशे के आरोप में पकड़े जाने वाले मेडिकल स्टोरों पर कार्रवाई न करने का पक्ष सुना जाएगा।

Health Min asks state regulators to keep tab on companies trying to dodge price ceiling by changing ingredients

New Delhi, 5 Dec: Even as the new draft policy prepared by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) suggested price control of formulations to check the companies from circumventing the practice of dodging price control mechanism, the health ministry has asked the state regulators to report cases of companies changing ingredients while retaining the popular brands. Sources in the ministry said no fresh case had been reported yet but all state drug controllers have been asked not to grant licences in such cases. Apart from this, the ministry has also asked them to implement sternly the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics (amendment ) Act, 2008 that enhanced penal provisions against tampering with the quality of drugs.

Ursodeoxycholic Acid may cause serious side-effects: study

OTTAWA, 5 DEC — A drug used to treat some types of liver disease has been found to cause serious side-effects in certain patients, manufacturers of the medication said Monday in a joint advisory with Health Canada. Ursodiol is also called ursodeoxycholic acid. Sold by several pharmaceutical companies under a variety of brand names, the drug is used to treat patients with a liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis

NPPA revises prices of 146 formulation packs, refixes prices of Eli Lilly’s monocomponent insulin packs

New Delhi, 1 Dec: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has revised the prices of 146 formulation packs, including some widely used packs containing Ibuprofen and Analgin. In another significant move, the price regulator has taken Methyl Prednisolone out of the scheduled category. "Consequent upon the notification issued vide S.O. No 1503(E) dated 01.07.2011 notifying that Methyl Prednisolone is not a derivative of scheduled bulk drug Prednisolone and therefore considered as non-scheduled bulk drug under Drug (Prices Control) Order, 1995, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority hereby withdraws the price notifications / orders relating to price fixation/ revision of Methyl Prednisolone based formulations as single ingredient issued under para 8 and 9 of the DPCO, 1995 with immediate effect," said a notification