Govt gets cold feet on OTC drugs policy

Pharma companies' hope to have several of their house hold remedy brands like Crocin made available through grocery shops across the country may not materialise.

The reason is that the government is having second thoughts over its proposed over-the-counter(OTC) drug policy.

According to Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss, the much talked about amendment to Drugs and Cosmetics Rules (D&C) 1945 to permit sale of drugs categorised as "house hold remedies" in the Schedule K of the rules, through unlicensed retail outlets throughout the country, is being re-considered.

The minister, however, ruled out the chances of dropping the draft amendment in its entirety.

The recently concluded Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) meeting, the apex advisory body comprising all state drug controllers, had also expressed their concern over the approval of draft Schedule K in its present form.

The DCC is likely to approve a pruned list of Schedule K to make only safe drugs available through unlicensed outlets.

Industry estimates put the approximate market for household remedy category of drugs at Rs 3000 crore.

If the proposed amendment had been cleared, the companies marketing products such as calcium supplements, antacids, skin ointments, burn-ointments, cold and cough tablets, medicated inhalers and a host of similar products could have promoted their products directly through the retail chains.

Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Healthcare Ltd and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd, Novartis are among the pharmaceutical majors that have tremendous interest in this segment.