Aftermath of Gambia deaths: Non-prescription drugs too easily available, need stricter rules, say doctors

World Health Organisation (WHO) stating that the cough syrups could be linked to acute kidney injuries and the children’s deaths, has given a fresh push to doctors’ demand for a stricter government watch over the formulas used to make medicines that are majorly sold over-the-counter

The death of 69 children in The Gambia, which have been linked to four cough syrups made in India, has re-sparked the debate over the safety of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines or non-prescription drugs, especially for kids.

(For representation only)

World Health Organisation (WHO) stating that the cough syrups could be linked to acute kidney injuries and the children’s deaths, has given a fresh push to doctors’ demand for a stricter government watch over the formulas used to make medicines that are majorly sold OTC.

Dr Rakesh Kapoor, director of Medanta-Lucknow, said the easy availability of OTC drugs across the country is concerning since a number of people have become addicted to medicines such as cough syrups.

“The market is flooded with cough syrups and combination medication that do not have any proven benefits. What we want is a strict watch by FSDA (Food Safety and Drug Administration) and other government agencies over the formulations used by companies. I had never previously heard the name of the syrups that were sold in The Gambia. At least we can stop using the solvent allegedly responsible for the deaths of kids in the country,” he added.

Professor Narayan Prasad, head of the nephrology department at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), observed: “ Syrups are not always required for the treatment of cough. In India, syrups are mostly sold OTC and one knows it better who consumes them the most. This indicates a lack of drug regulation in this part of the world. What I recommend is strict implementation of rules by the drug controller to stop their misuse. It’s up to the government to restrict the sales of these cough syrups only through prescriptions.”

Spokesperson of Lucknow chemist association Mayank Rastogi, however, refuted the allegations against the Indian drug companies made after the incident, which, he said, was being made only to dent their reputation.

He added: “In Lucknow, there are 5,500 medical stores and 1,500 drug wholesalers. Around 3,000 bottles of cough syrups are sold daily in the city. Seventy per cent of the sales are without prescription.”