Meftal is a painkiller for which the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has just released a drug safety advisory. Mefenamic acid pain relievers are given for the treatment of mild to severe pain, inflammation, fever, dysmenorrhea, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis.
The Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) database’s early examination of adverse drug reactions found drug responses associated with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome, according to the commission’s notice.
Following the notice, the following is a list of fixed combination medications that drugscontrol.org says would be illegal for human use in India in 2023.
1. Dispersible Nimesulide + Paracetamol Tablet
2. Bromhexine +amoxicillin
3. Promethazine +pholcodine
4. A fixed dosage combination of ammonium, guaiphenesin, dextromethorphan, and chlorpheniramine maleate
5. Syrup of Chlopheniramine Maleate +Codeine
6. Bromhexine + Dextromethorphan+ Ammium Chloride
7. Ammonium chloride+menthol+dextromethorphan+ bromhexine
8. Dextromethorphan+ Guaiphenesin, Chlorpheniramine, +Ammonium Chloride
9. Paracetamol + Guaifenesin + Bromhexine + Phenylephrine + Chlorpheniramine
10. Bromhexine + Salbutamol
11. Codeine Phosphate + Chlorpheniramine Menthol Syrup
12. Phenytoin +sodium phenobarbitone.
13. In 5 millilitres of syrup + Ammonium Chlande Sodium Carate Chlorpheniramine Maleate Merishok (100 mg 40 mg 25 mg + 0 mg) (125 mg 55 mg Angling) (110 mg 40 mg + ang + 0 mg) (130 mg 55ing 3 mg 0.5 mg)
14. Etofyline + sallbutamol + hydroxyethyltheophylline Hexine bromide
Cough syrup and India
At least one of the five samples authorities seized showed unknown quality problems, according to Indian testing of a cough syrup connected to the deaths of at least six children in Cameroon, which were reported to Reuters earlier on December 4 by two individuals involved with the case.
Since the middle of last year, at least 141 children’s deaths in Gambia, Uzbekistan, and Cameroon have been connected to cough syrup manufactured by three Indian pharmaceutical companies, namely Riemann Labs. This has lowered the caliber of exports from India, which is known as the “world’s pharmacy” because it provides affordable, life-saving medications to the nations that most require them.
WHO reported in July that a sample of Naturcold syrup, whose manufacturer India has identified as Riemann, was taken from Cameroon and had as high as 28.6 percent of the diethylene glycol toxin, compared to an allowed level of no more than 0.10 percent. In response, the Indian government stated that they had halted Riemann’s production shortly after the WHO warning, citing adherence to poor manufacturing methods. According to the persons who spoke with Reuters, state and federal officials inspected Riemann’s plant in June and discovered infractions including inadequate ventilation, which increased the possibility of cross contamination.
Earlier, in June 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) identified seven Made-in-India items as part of an investigation into the global supply of tainted cough syrups. More than 60 youngsters in the Gambia and about 20 in Uzbekistan lost their lives as a result of Indian-made medications last year.
