Rules proposed to curb sale of drugs with abuse potential

Rules proposed to curb sale of drugs with abuse potential
TNN

PANAJI: In order to curb the sale of drugs having misuse or abuse potential, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed "prescription guideline" that allow chemists to deny such medication to doctors who approach them without a prescription or to those persons who provide SMS prescriptions.

The FDA has further proposed that for the safety and proper handling of prescriptions, drugs which have misuse or abuse potential should be written on a separate prescription and doctors will need to give due justification for large quantities of a particular drug prescribed.

Drugs with such potential include diazepam containing products such as Valium and Calmpose; alprazolam containing products such as Alprax, Restyl; zcodeine containing drugs such Corex; pentazocine containing drugs such as Fortwin injections; nitrazepam containing products such as Nitravet, Lorazepam and Larpose and several others.

"Do not prescribe or recommend drugs with misuse potential over the telephone or via SMS. Pharmacies are not authorized to dispense against such orders for such drugs and have the right to refuse to dispense. Also quantities prescribed for such types of drugs should be reasonable," the new guidelines state. The guidelines were circulated to the FDA's stakeholders at a meeting on September 23. Representatives of the Goa Medical Council, Indian Medical Association, Directorate of Health Services, Chemists and Druggists Association and Goa College of Pharmacy have been asked to provide feedback.

Meanwhile, the new guidelines warn that it is not a correct practice to write "self" on a prescription, instead of the patient's name while purchasing medicines directly from the wholesaler or pharmacy. "If a doctor visits a pharmacy and asks for a drug, the pharmacy is authorized to refuse to dispense the drug unless he is presented with a proper written order. The written order should indicate the doctor's qualifications and registration number. In any event the pharmacy is within its rights to refuse to honour a self prescription for scheduled drugs. The written order needs to be kept by the pharmacy for a minimum of two years," sources said.

They added, "If any doctor misuses his powers to indiscriminately prescribe large quantities for other than justified medical use, the medical council has the powers to deal with the doctor. Pharmacies are authorized to refuse to dispense such prescriptions if they suspect any misuse."

1 October 2009,The Times of India, Goa edition