Hailing the Union health ministry’s decision to ban 344 FDCs, the All India Chemists and Distributors Federation (AICDF) want the government to take post-ban steps including monitoring of the market and ensure that manufacturers withdraw the banned products from the traders without making financial difficulties to them.

The Chennai based national body, mainly of distributors, wanted prompt and positive action from the national regulatory authority by intervening in the market and initiating legal actions against those companies which are non-cooperative with the traders in taking back the banned products from their shelves and godowns. The Federation has alleged that the government officials of the regulatory bodies are very lethargic in intervening in such matters.

According to the Federation, the government should act against the companies on the basis of complaints made by traders. Similarly, punitive actions are needed against the department officials who endorsed the irrational formulations for manufacture and sale. Government should also elucidate whether showcause notices have been issued to the authorities concerned who have given permission to these banned combination drugs. The manufacturing companies should reimburse the traders’ loss resulted due to the government decision, the AICDF wanted.

While interacting with Pharmabiz, Joydeep Sarkar, general secretary of AICDF from Kolkata said the ban of FDCs is beneficial step to the patient community in the country. The ban has in no way impacted the traders’ business as there are enough alternatives. But the manufacturers are often unwilling to take back the products which in turn make the traders suffer big loss. This happens mainly because the enforcement officials are lethargic in implementing the rules, and they are lenient towards the manufacturers. The traders have to bear all the liabilities even when the industry commits the breaches and violations.

“Even before the March 10 ban of FDCs by the DCGI, the same kind of situation existed in the market, especially in West Bengal. AICDF had to fight so many companies in court and in organisational level in taking back products. I would like to quote the experience from Cadila Pharmaceuticals which declined to take back such FDCs or highly priced NLEM products from the traders and forced them to suffer a big loss,” said Joydeep.

He further said if we look at the point of view of patients, the ban of FDCs is a blessing for their health. Several formulations in these 344 FDCs are useless even for prophylactic usages, he commented.

The wholesale distributor from Kolkata pointed out that AICDF had lodged complaint with the DCGI for restricting the manufacturing of Corex, Phensedyl and other brands containing codeine phosphate since the traders in West Bengal were dealing with such products. He alleged that the pharma industry is quite unruly in following up the rules and regulations or the acts.