The Kerala Government has initiated a move to collect data on the Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) caused by mainly antibiotic drugs with a view to restrict such drugs in the state.

According to informed sources, the Kerala health minister K K Ramachandran officially instructed principal secretary of the state health department to immediately prepare a report on the ADR causing drugs floating in the Kerala market. The order was given last week, within a day or two of the notification from the Central Government to ban the controversial rofecoxib brands in the country.

The state drug control department officials said that they were yet to get any communication on this from the health department. At present, there is no mechanism in the state to monitor ADRs of drugs, as the case elsewhere in the country.

Kerala, one among the largest drug consuming state in the country, has annual drug trade to the tune of over Rs 750 crore. The government also purchases drugs worth Rs100 crore every year.

However, few officials point out the minister's enthusiasm stems from the controversy related to rofecoxib ban, rather than any specific issues or reasons. It is also a controversial issue whether State Government can decide on which drug is safe and which is not, even if they have mechanism to study and create data on ADRs of drugs, they opined.