Badrul Ahsan :
The government is set to bring all types of food supplements, made in medicinal form, under the regulatory framework with a view to saving the people from any kind of health hazards, official sources said.
The move came as the authorities have found that many unregistered items have flooded the market due to legal loopholes creating serious health complicacies and financial losses to the patients.
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has already
brought some amendments in the existing drug control ordinance recently and sent to the Ministry of Health, which is now in the stage of final approval.
Not only are the importers importing and marketing such type of unregis tered food supplements but many doctors across the country are also prescribing those taking the advantage of the weakness of the existing laws, a DGDA high official told the New Nation on Thursday preferring anonymity.
According to Section 14A of Drug Control Ordinance 2006, doctors are forbidden to prescribe unregistered Drugs to their patients. But 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,” Ruhul Amin, a director of DGDA told the New Nation Thursday.
“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. However, after a visit to the BSMMU, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) and some other public and private hospitals in the city, this reporter found that many doctors are prescribing food supplements to their patients along with other medicines.
While responding to a query, a medical officer of Orthopaedic Department of the BSMMU, 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 see that food supplements work better. So we prescribe,” he added.
However, a number of victims told this reporter 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,” said Kamal Uddin Ahmed, a patient of physical medicine.
“Whatever food supplements the doctors prescribe can only be found in the pharmacies located around their chambers. Prices are also 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 medicines 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 is set to bring all types of food supplements, made in medicinal form, under the regulatory framework with a view to saving the people from any kind of health hazards, official sources said.
The move came as the authorities have found that many unregistered items have flooded the market due to legal loopholes creating serious health complicacies and financial losses to the patients.
The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has already
brought some amendments in the existing drug control ordinance recently and sent to the Ministry of Health, which is now in the stage of final approval.
Not only are the importers importing and marketing such type of unregis tered food supplements but many doctors across the country are also prescribing those taking the advantage of the weakness of the existing laws, a DGDA high official told the New Nation on Thursday preferring anonymity.
According to Section 14A of Drug Control Ordinance 2006, doctors are forbidden to prescribe unregistered Drugs to their patients. But 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,” Ruhul Amin, a director of DGDA told the New Nation Thursday.
“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. However, after a visit to the BSMMU, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) and some other public and private hospitals in the city, this reporter found that many doctors are prescribing food supplements to their patients along with other medicines.
While responding to a query, a medical officer of Orthopaedic Department of the BSMMU, 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 see that food supplements work better. So we prescribe,” he added.
However, a number of victims told this reporter 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,” said Kamal Uddin Ahmed, a patient of physical medicine.
“Whatever food supplements the doctors prescribe can only be found in the pharmacies located around their chambers. Prices are also 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 medicines 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.
