Expert committee to decide on tocilizumab case by case

Considering the shortage of drugs to treat Covid-19 cases, an expert committee constituted by the director-general of health services of Haryana will decide on the distribution of tocilizumab available with the state to individual Covid-19 patients in public or private health facilities

Considering the shortage of drugs to treat Covid-19 cases, an expert committee constituted by the director-general of health services of Haryana will decide on the distribution of tocilizumab available with the state to individual Covid-19 patients in public or private health facilities.

HT Image

“In the last few days, we have received complaints that doctors and hospitals have been randomly and frequently prescribing tocilizumab drugs to Covid-19 patients, which is not even required in most of the cases. Now, with the formation of the expert committee, including a team of three senior doctors, the drug will be provided based on the case history of the infected patient,” said Amandeep Chauhan, district drug control officer.

Tocilizumab is an imported drug, which is used to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients under certain conditions. Due to the ongoing surge of coronavirus infections, the demand for medicines like remdesivir, fabiflu and tocilizumab has increased in the city. In Gurugram, at least 10-12 vials are issued every day, said the drug control officer.

Earlier this week, the union ministry of health and family welfare issued a statement regarding the unavailability of the drug and import of fresh stock, which has been allocated to different states. Even the Delhi high court observed that there is a severe shortage of the drug. It stated that lack of supplies from foreign shores and no local manufacturing is completely unacceptable in a pandemic situation, especially when consumers are willing to purchase the drug. Keeping rea cord of the drug usage is now a critical exercise, as the Central government has to inform the court about the usage of 500 vials of tocilizumab that has been consumed and the stock currently available for administration in different states.

In Haryana, the three-member committee of senior doctors along with drug control officers will keep a tab on the tocilizumab usage. Doctors and hospitals have been prohibited to issue a prescription for tocilizumab for purchasing it from the market and will have to directly apply to the expert committee with complete details of the patient’s case history

The committee will meet twice every day, during the morning and evening, to take decisions on the applications submitted by hospitals. If an application is approved, the hospital concerned will deposit the charges for the injection with the chief medical officer, who will be authorising the release of the drug from the government warehouse.

As per the guidelines, the drug has to be issued the same day. The hospital will also have to submit a report regarding the usage of the drug. In case a patient dies before the injection can be, the hospital will have to reimburse the amount of the drug to the patient and keep the drug in stock and use it only if approved by the committee.