With growing concerns about the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria, because of widespread abuse of antibiotics by patients, who consume them without consultation, and by doctors, who prescribe them even when they are not needed, the union health ministry has stepped in with plans to mandate warnings on packets of prescription drugs. Through a new proposal the ministry is planning to stop the drug abuse menace by make changes to the text printed on medicine strips, especially those that fall under Schedule G, Schedule H, Schedule X and Schedule H1.
According to a recent notification issued by the health ministry, the medicine strips will contain a red block with black letters stating the caution or warning. The new changes on these drugs will come into effect from November 1this year. These new guidelines have to be followed by every drug manufacturing company. The central government had earlier invited objections and suggestions on the proposal on November 3, 2017.
In 2016, India’s drug industry has opposed the Union health ministry’s proposal of making a red band mandatory with black letters on packaging labels of prescription-only drugs, claiming that this would increase manufacturing costs and had pitched for an alternative labelling plan. But now, the government has made it mandatory to have this printed on medical strips.