Published On : Fri, Sep 25th, 2015

Medicine banned—Where is notification?: HC

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Nagpur:
Taking self-cognizance of the news-paper reports about ban on certain drugs, the Nagpur Bench of Mumbai High Court, comprising Justice Bhushan Gawai and Justice Prasanna Varale, has treated the news-reports as public interest matter and thus issued a notice to the respondent state government to file a reply as to when it is issuing a notification regarding the ban.

It may be mentioned that despite being pointed out by the news-papers as many as 85 drugs, which are a mixture of two chemical compounds, are said to be dangerous, yet they are being sold in open market (medical stores). Such dangerous medicines need immediate ban.
During earlier hearing in the matter, the court had held that the Medical Council of India should take necessary action through various measures at its disposal and also caution the medical practitioners about such dangerous medicines and ban on them. Amicus Curiae (Friend-of-the-Court), senior Adv Anand Parchure argued out the case.

Nagpur District Chemist and Druggist Association too had raised objection

It may be mentioned that in view of court’s directions the administration had come into action, and even Nagpur District Chemist and Druggist Association too had raised objection against the sale of banned drugs and intimated its members to ban the sale of six such drugs, yet the sale is still continuing in certain medical stores.

Expert team had given report
During earlier hearing in the court, a 3-member inspection committee headed by the head of the pharmacology department of Government Medical College and Hospital was constituted to submit a fact-finding report relating the drugs and their impact on health, to the court. In the submitted report, the court was apprised of the compounding of certain drugs which were dangerous for health. The court had then directed the authority, which accords sanction to drugs, to explain the truth that was challenged in the court.