Three pharmaceutical companies had launched extensive ad campaigns in electronic and print media some time in 2009 to popularize their emergency contraceptive pills. The campaigns were in violation of the provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. The contraceptive pills - Unwanted 72, Option-72 and I Pill - generated huge demand amongst youngsters and college students as they were easily available from the medical shops without any prescription. The ad campaign and the brisk sales of these products attracted the attention of medical experts and consumer action groups as recurrent use of these pills without medical supervision could cause serious health problems. The experts were of the view that easy availability of such pills would encourage promiscuity among the millions of youngsters and college going girls. It was also felt that such pills could also promote unsafe sex among younger generation resulting in further increase of HIV/AIDS cases in the country. In the wake of these concerns, DCGI issued show cause notices to all the three companies over the ad campaign. Soon, all the three companies stopped releasing ads on the products in the media. DCGI then decided not to initiate any action against the companies. And the matter has been referred to Drug Technical Advisory Body to take a decision. Now, even after more than an year, DTAB is yet to come out with its decision. In matters like this, DTAB should not have taken such a long time to decide so.. What happened in the meanwhile is the revival of the ad campaign by one of the pill companies, Piramal Healthcare. This is highly improper on the part of the company especially when DTAB is considering the whole matter. DCGI has now issued a notice to the company asking it to withdraw the ad immediately.

Advertising of pharmaceutical products in mass media is not allowed under the drug rules of most countries. Such restriction in advertising drugs is extremely significant in the case of prescription products as the general public can get misled and may go for self medication. To monitor release of such ads in local languages and TV channels in different parts of the country is not that easy for the office of DCGI considering its present staff and infrastructure. State drug authorities usually do not act on their own and expect DCGI to take action first in matters like this. The decision of the Union health ministry now to expand its inspection staff to over 500 realizing the present size of Indian pharmaceutical industry and its future growth is thus laudable. Once that kind of number is in place, the office of DCGI should have a monitoring cell to track the advertising excesses of pharmaceutical companies on a regular basis as the frequency of such violations is on the increase.