The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has raised concern over the presence of 40 per cent “dangerous” fixed dose combinations (FDCs) of medicines in the markets here.
“The state is flooded with unsafe combination drugs putting lives of people at risk. At least 40 per cent of the FDCs in the market are irrational and these risky combinations are jeopardising public health,” said DAK president Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan in a statement issued here.
“Though the state has formulated its own essential medicines list, the drugs have not been made available because of which the proliferation of undesirable combinations continue,” he said
He alleged thousands of brands of unhealthy combinations and pharmacology companies continued to promote these FDCs to lure medical practitioners for prescription. “Over the years, efforts to weed out irrational FDCs have proved futile as attempts to withdraw them were countered by powerful pharma industry,” he said.
Quoting a study published in Journal of Public Library of Sciences, he said 73 per cent of painkillers and 81 per cent of anti-depressant combinations were marketed in the country without approval.
“The most pressing concern with irrational FDCs is that they expose patients to unnecessary risk of adverse drug reactions, for instance, combination of Nimesulide and Paracetamol exposes patients to greater risk of liver damage,” he said. He claimed that pharmacology companies were reaping benefits from huge sales of irrational multivitamin combinations which could be bought without a prescription.
40% of combination drugs putting lives at risk: Doctors’ body
