Badrul Ahsan :
The government has taken a move to bring all types of food supplements, made in medicinal form, under its regulatory framework, a high official of DGDA said.
The initiative has been taken as the authority of Director General of Drug Administration (DGDA) found many unregistered items have flooded the market due to legal loopholes of laws creating serious health hazards and financial losses to the patients.
The DGDA has already brought some amendments in the existing drug control ordinance few months ago and sent it to the ministry of health, which is now in the final stage of approval.
Not only are the importers importing and marketing such type of unregistered food supplements but many doctors across the country are also prescribing those for their personal gain.
Although according to section 14A of drug control ordinance 2006, doctors are forbidden to prescribe unregistered drugs to their patients but taking the advantage of the weakness of the existing laws they are doing the unethical activity, the DGDA official said.
According to him, the ordinance does not have adequate provisions for the authorities to check and control the items and to keep the doctors away from prescribing those.
“We have found that a section of importers in connivance with many doctors are marketing unregistered food supplements. So we felt the necessity of bringing those under our control in public interest,” a director of DGDA told The New Nation Thursday preferring anonymity.
“Once the amended ordinance is passed, the importers and marketers of such food supplements will have to prove safety, efficiency and usefulness of their goods before marketing,” he added.
After a visit to the, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), BSMMU and some other public and private hospitals in the city, this correspondent found that many doctors are prescribing food supplements to their patients along with other medicines.
While responding to a question of NN, a medical officer of orthopedic department of DMCH preferring anonymity said they prescribe such food supplements as their patients get “positive results.”
“We do not know what is in the drug control ordinance. We saw that food supplements work better. So we prescribe,” he added.
However, a number of victims told the NN that they are helpless to the doctor’s decision.
“I have been taking calcium rich food supplement along with other medicines for the last three years. But I am yet to get any significant relief from my knee pain,” Kamal Uddin Ahmed, a patient of physical medicine said.
“Whatever food supplements the doctors prescribe can only be found in the pharmacies located around their chambers. Prices also to be much higher than that of normal medicines,” he complained.
Meanwhile, Shohidul Islam Khandaker, a senior medical promotion officer of Biopharma Limited said doctors prescribe such medicine mostly in their own interest.
Centrum, C. Joint, Formula for Joint, Healthy Join, Omega 3, Calcium with Vitamin D, Tricotin (Hair Skin and Nail), Biotin, Joint Matrix, Canberry, Triflex, Fleximen and Beepolin are among over 200 unregistered food supplements that are being prescribed by the doctors.
The government has taken a move to bring all types of food supplements, made in medicinal form, under its regulatory framework, a high official of DGDA said.
The initiative has been taken as the authority of Director General of Drug Administration (DGDA) found many unregistered items have flooded the market due to legal loopholes of laws creating serious health hazards and financial losses to the patients.
The DGDA has already brought some amendments in the existing drug control ordinance few months ago and sent it to the ministry of health, which is now in the final stage of approval.
Not only are the importers importing and marketing such type of unregistered food supplements but many doctors across the country are also prescribing those for their personal gain.
Although according to section 14A of drug control ordinance 2006, doctors are forbidden to prescribe unregistered drugs to their patients but taking the advantage of the weakness of the existing laws they are doing the unethical activity, the DGDA official said.
According to him, the ordinance does not have adequate provisions for the authorities to check and control the items and to keep the doctors away from prescribing those.
“We have found that a section of importers in connivance with many doctors are marketing unregistered food supplements. So we felt the necessity of bringing those under our control in public interest,” a director of DGDA told The New Nation Thursday preferring anonymity.
“Once the amended ordinance is passed, the importers and marketers of such food supplements will have to prove safety, efficiency and usefulness of their goods before marketing,” he added.
After a visit to the, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), BSMMU and some other public and private hospitals in the city, this correspondent found that many doctors are prescribing food supplements to their patients along with other medicines.
While responding to a question of NN, a medical officer of orthopedic department of DMCH preferring anonymity said they prescribe such food supplements as their patients get “positive results.”
“We do not know what is in the drug control ordinance. We saw that food supplements work better. So we prescribe,” he added.
However, a number of victims told the NN that they are helpless to the doctor’s decision.
“I have been taking calcium rich food supplement along with other medicines for the last three years. But I am yet to get any significant relief from my knee pain,” Kamal Uddin Ahmed, a patient of physical medicine said.
“Whatever food supplements the doctors prescribe can only be found in the pharmacies located around their chambers. Prices also to be much higher than that of normal medicines,” he complained.
Meanwhile, Shohidul Islam Khandaker, a senior medical promotion officer of Biopharma Limited said doctors prescribe such medicine mostly in their own interest.
Centrum, C. Joint, Formula for Joint, Healthy Join, Omega 3, Calcium with Vitamin D, Tricotin (Hair Skin and Nail), Biotin, Joint Matrix, Canberry, Triflex, Fleximen and Beepolin are among over 200 unregistered food supplements that are being prescribed by the doctors.
