Following the NPPA notification that some manufacturers are not maintaining normal supplies of certain vital medicines in the domestic market, chemists and stockists in the city rue that many drugs from leading pharma manufacturers are not available or are in short supply in major metropolis like Delhi, Mumbai and in most of the states.

It has also been reported that the supply of certain vital medicines is constrained in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Medicines in short supply are related to serious ailments like hypertension, respiratory disorders, infections, uric acid, thyroid, skin disorders and TB.

Certain branded medicines like Eltroxin tablet for Thyroid, antibiotics like Zentel, Fortum injection, Augmentin 300mg injection, CCM tab for calcium deficiency, Effcorlin for respiratory disorder and Zyloric for controlling uric acid from the GSK stable are in short supply.

However, according to a GSK spokesperson, "The shortage in supplies is not related to our medicines being under regulations. As for supply constraints on some of the products, we are currently facing some issues across our manufacturing facilities that is impacting our ability to supply. We are doing our utmost to bring supply back to normal as soon as possible and the normal supply is expected to be restored in the next few months."

Besides this, certain other drugs like Wysolone 40/30/20mg and Penidure injections from Pfizer, Adelphane, Adelphane Esidrex Tabs and PZA 750mg Tabs from Sandoz have also been reported as having intermittent or short supply. It has also been found in a survey by the chemists that steroids like Omnacortil, Decdan, Depin R 20mg tab for blood pressure, Evalon cream for rashes and antibiotics like Pyridium tabs are also in short supply.

Informs a Mumbai based stockist, "There is acute shortage for human albumin. Only Reliance Biopharma’s “Albu Rel” is available in some hospital pharmacies. Most of the other companies have stopped importing because of price control."

Human albumin serum helps maintains levels of calcium in the body and transports nutrients or drugs effectively in the blood stream. The body can suffer a shortage of albumin if a patient is affected by liver disease, kidney failure, burns and malnourishment.

Reliance has tied up with most of the blood banks for collecting blood plasma but still there is shortage of the same. A chemist informs,"There is also an urgent need to revise the prices of low sodium albumin which is different from regular albumin."

Human albumin low sodium of 20 per cent strength in 100 ml used to cost around Rs.4,904 but used to be sold at a higher price of Rs.5,980 due to the shortage following NPPA price cut. The emergency drug which is generally being used as a life saving drug in cases of severe blood loss or in trauma cases was earlier being imported by few companies in India.

Pharmaceutical companies like Reliance, Intas, Bharat Serums and Baxter were major manufacturers and suppliers of albumin in Indian markets.