(8th July, 2014); Health Ministry of India finalized that if any drug banned by two or more countries and it is still being marketed in India, they may possibly remove the drug from the Indian market after proper examination or appropriate action will be taken.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had constituted an Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ranjit Roy Chaudhury to formulate policy and guidelines for approval of new drugs, clinical trials and banning of drugs. The Expert Committee submitted its report to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
As per the report submitted by committee, we have an unacceptably large number of formulations in the market around 60,000 to 85,000. Many of these medicines should not have been allowed to reach the market in the first place.
The committee asked to remove drugs which should never have been allowed to reach the market are being marketed. Many of these drugs are inherently unsafe and potentially hazardous. They do not appear in any textbook of medicine or pharmacology; nor do they find a place in the market of any country.
Expert Committee also recommended that if the drug is already in the market but two or more countries remove the drug from their market on grounds of efficacy and safety, then the national drug regulatory agency should consider the possibility of removing the drug from the Indian market as well.
In pursuance to recommendation of Expert Committee, "it has been decided that if two or more countries remove a drug from their market on grounds of efficacy and safety, then the continued marketing of the drug in the country will be considered for examination and appropriate action."
