The FDA has instructed the Nagpur Drug and Pharmacists Association not to sell cold cough medicines in view of the second wave of the COVID-19 in the city, but is this right and acceptable?? What about the people who have just a common cold and cough??
In addition to cold and cough tablets, the sale of analgesics, antipyretics, antitussive antibiotics for a cough from the medical stores in the city is also under the strict vigil of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
FDA is monitoring the report data of almost 150 drugs daily, along with medical oxygen, sanitisers and analgesics, and antipyretics through a local app developed by the Government administration along with FDA and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
There are about 2,000 retail pharmacies in the city. All the pharmacists working in these retail outlets are required to fill the data of sales and purchase of these medicines and send it to FDA and NMC officials.
The whole of Nagpur city is under red zone for Coronavirus, this regulation and ban helps to monitor the persons who have purchased common medicines for fever, cough, and cold from pharmacies in the city further helping the government administration to find the suspected patients of COVID-19.
As per the instructions from FDA, the pharmacist working in a medical store has to keep a record of each person visiting the pharmacy and purchasing the common cold medicines. The record includes the name and address of the consumer and on whose prescription the medicines are supplied.
Also, it was noted that due to climate changes many people are showing symptoms of cold and fever. But due to the fear of going to a hospital or getting tested for Covid, these people opt to try taking treatment at home like having a cold or cough tablets.
Due to lack of treatment or neglect, the number of critically ill patients has increased. And among them, many are suspected to be covid positive which makes the situation uncontrollable.
These patients who are treated at home on the pretext of simple fever but actually maybe covid positive are coming in contact with other people around forming covid clusters.
The Health Department is urging everyone to get tested for covid as soon as the symptoms appear and not to depend on basic medicine pills or tablets. But what the state government doesn’t undesired is the consequences, banning the medicines for the common cold will give rise to the black market or sale of unauthorized medicines. Do you agree??
