Bangalore's 2,800 druggists and chemists have reported a drastic fall in the sales of Rofecoxib brands in recent weeks. But, stocks of some of the Rofecoxib brands are still available with chemists' shops.

The main reason for the drop in sales is the efforts by the Bangalore Druggists and Chemists Association (BDDCA) which has been instructing the 160 distributors in the city to return all the Rofecoxib brands to the respective companies after DCGI announced its intention to ban the molecule last month.

In the other districts of Karnataka, Rofecoxib brands are freely available in the drug outlets. There are reports that certain doctors in the rural areas in the districts who are unaware of the ban, continue to prescribe the drug for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

V Hari Krishnan, president, Bangalore District and Chemists Association and organising secretary, Federation of Chemists and Druggists of Karnataka said that there had been no communication from any of the companies dealing with the brands to withdraw the drug. "Our efforts at the distributor level to return stocks has helped to curb the sales of the drug. Whenever prescriptions come in for the drug, we have instructed the chemist manning the counter to inform the customers about its ban. The chemists were also warned that they should not provide an alternative drug, instead they should request the customer to bring the new prescription from the medical practitioner," he added.

The brands are available in the outlets as companies like Micro Labs have taken a strategy of 'short-duration' prescription mode to market the product till the a ban order from the Drugs General of India to withdraw the drug, stated sources.

At Juggat Pharma, no officials were available for comments on the availability of the brand in the drug stores.

A section of medical practitioners in the city pointed out that there must be an awareness created by the Medical Council of India or the Drugs Controller General of India about the ban of the drug. "We have read about it only in the newspapers and have informed patients about our change in prescription," they added.

All the multi speciality hospitals and nursing homes in Bangalore, both in the private and government sector, have stopped prescribing Rofecoxib brands and have resorted to prescribe either Diclofenac Sodium or Etrocoxib brands.