“PILL FOR EVERY ILL” is a saying which is being focused and pursued.
Some of the common medicines that are easily available and used frequently without doctor's prescription are :
Phenyl propanolamine, analgin, cisapride and nimesulide among several others which, continue to be sold as OTC in India
Coxibs were the widely prescribed drugs until the recent setback with rofecoxib, which was withdrawn from the market by the innovator due to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes observed with its long-term use .
Analgin was widely used, easily available, relatively cheap and efficacious analgesic. Initially this drug was banned in 1974 because of the myelotoxicity but significant methodological flaws in the study led to criticism and the drug was unbanned in 1995 but as a prescription drug only. Further studies led to more controversies regarding its association with agranulocytosis and it was again withdrawn from the market in 1999. It was estimated that the fatal agranulocytosis occurred in one out of 10,000 users of the drug analgin.
These are used as pain-killers but latest research shows that long term use of such medicines can affect human health in various ways by damaging liver, causing irregular heartbeats, depression, and blood pressure 8 fluctuations etc .
Numerous studies have shown life threatening ADRs with nimesulide such as hepatotoxicity, renal toxicity severe skin reactions, GI toxicity, and coronary artery . insufficiency Pediatric nimesulide was withdrawn from the Indian market because of the potential hazards of the drug. . Therefore the manufacturing, sale, distribution and marketing of these drugs need to be outlawed, such drugs are termed as banned drugs. More than 60,000 branded formulations are available in India
Phenyl propanolamine is associated with risk of hemorrhagic stroke, still it is the most commonly used banned drug for common cold and cough. It is a common constituent of many formulations in India
It is clinically proved that almost all the drugs have side effects at therapeutic levels besides toxic effects. Unwanted side effects are referred to as adverse drug reactions (ADR).
Many drugs that have been banned in developed 25 countries are easily available in India . Pharmacists don't hesitate to sell these drugs because doctors continuously prescribe these medicines despite knowing their implication and side effects on the patient