In many parts of the world, medicines, including the so-called Schedule H Drugs (to be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only), can be just bought over the counter. Indian scenario is not better. Many of the drugs are banned in western countries, but the pharmaceutical companies are selling the drugs in India with immunity! Even the parents, for conditions such as cold and cough just go to any medical store and buy any cough syrup and start giving to the children. Sometimes, the self medication works, but most of the time there is a danger of lethal side effects in children. The medicines may be fake and dispensed in unhygienic conditions.
Awareness of the public is built up only through the eye-catching TV advertisements. Doctors are not consulted. The reasons for not consulting are many, such as there is no time to waste in consultation, afraid that the doctors will swindle money by prescribing too many tests and examinations, lack of adequate number of good doctors, etc.
Recently, US Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory warning parents against giving over the counter cold and cough medicines to small children because of “serious and potentially life-threatening side-effects”. Medicines like phenyl propanolamine (PPA) are globally banned because of its dangerous side effects. Self medication based purely on the symptoms is not advised.
Governments should wake up to this reality and bring in legislation, if necessary, to tighten the situations such as Pharmacies selling drugs OTC without proper prescription, prevention of manufacture of fake medicines, adulteration in medicines, selling medicines after the expiry date, use of banned drugs, etc.
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