DCC sub-committee for amendment of D&C Rules led by Dr Jagashetty to meet on Feb 28 & March 1 (21/2/13)

ENGALURU, 21 FEB, 2013: Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) sub-committee for Amendments to the Drugs & Cosmetic Rules constituted by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) which is headed by the Karnataka Drugs Controller, Dr BR Jagashetty will convene a meeting on February 28 and March 1, 2013 to discuss on the revision of norms. There are six state drugs controllers coming in for this meeting representing states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland and J&K. The drugs controller of Tamil Nadu will be a special invitee to the meeting. “There are 169 Drugs & Cosmetics Rules which would require to be analyzed by the Committee to be able to devise the amendments within a span of six months. Since viewing each of the rules will be a time consuming task, we would evaluate the important ones to be prepare the proposals for revision”, said Dr Jagashetty, told this reporter.

69 prosecutions launched relating to misleading ads

NEW DELHI, 23 FEB, 2013: A total of 630 cases were registered for investigation and 69 prosecutions were launched in the year 2010-2011 and 2011–2012 relating to misleading advertisements.
According to the State Drugs Control Authorities, 57 food items have been identified with misleading claims through print and electronic media under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act.

HC tells FDA to go easy on chemists

Mumbai, 22 Feb, 2013:The Bombay high court on Thursday told the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department to be more considerate towards grievances of chemists who have been shutting shops after 6pm for lack of availability of pharmacists. A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice Anoop Mohta have told the state to file a reply as to what steps it proposes to tackle the issue. This was told during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by a practicing lawyer, Datta Mane, contending that the general public had been put to inconvenience in the wake of the decision of chemists across the state to down shutters of their shops after 6pm.

Three arrested after students hospitalised following internet drug overdose

United Kingdom, 12 Jan, 2013: Three men have been arrested after a group of students needed hospital treatment for taking an illegal hallucinogenic drug bought on the internet. One of the students remains in critical condition after he and five others fell ill early on Friday having taken 2CB, a party drug which is similar to ecstasy. The group, some studying at Newcastle University, were found after police raided a house in Jesmond, a leafy suburb of Newcastle, at around 3am.

Man held for posing as FDA officer to extort money from shop owners

MUMBAI, 1 FEB, 2013: Dharavi police on Wednesday arrested a 39-year-old man for carrying out raids at sweet shops in Dharavi, impersonating as a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officer. He allegedly used to demand money from the shop owners, warning them to pay him ransom, to not take any action against them for keeping 'sub-standard' food items for sale.

Govt to stop over the counter sale of 40 more drugs

NEW DELHI, 1 FEB, 2013: Some 40 drugs will soon be notified under a new schedule, H1, of Drugs and Cosmetics Act to make it mandatory for chemists to maintain a register of their sales and retain a copy of the prescription. This will be in addition to the schedule H drugs which, too, can’t be sold without prescription. Besides, packs of H1 drugs will carry a prominent warning in red stating that it is dangerous to take these drugs without doctor’s prescription.

FDA assistant commissioner suspended for neglecting duty

MUMBAI, 26 JAN, 2013: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Mahesh Zagde on Friday suspended assistant commissioner V A Jawdekar for dereliction of duty. Last week, when Zagde sought information on the number of pharmacists in the state, he was told that all 60,000 medical stores have full-time pharmacists to verify prescriptions and issue bills as per provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.