CDSCO observes lower supply of 15 drugs used for COVID-19 treatment

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued a letter to all drug manufacturers associations intimating about the lower supply of 15 essential drugs for the treatment of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The DCGI has also requested all pharma associations to take up the matter of less production and potential shortage with concerned manufacturers to ensure adequate supply and availability of these essential drugs.

The list of these drugs was prepared by the NPPA on May 18, 2020, from the data provided by the CDSCO office on May 15, 2020, which, in turn, was supplied by Drug Controllers after examining the availability of all medicines in their respective States/Union Territories.

Then, the NPPA requested the CDSCO office to ensure adequate production, supply and availability of these 15 drugs in the country by coordinating with the manufacturers and suppliers of these medicines.

The drugs which were found in lower supply are:

1) Thiopentone Sodium Injection
2) Vasopressin Injection
3) Enalaprilat Injection
4) Clotrimazole Pessary
5) Targocid Injection
6) Biperiden Tablets
7) Activated Charcoal tablets
8) Linezolid Injection
9) Salbutamol Pratropium inhaler
10) Beclomethasone inhaler
11) Formoterol 20mcg + Budesonide 0.5 mg inhaler capsules
12) Oxygen inhalation
13) Morphine 1mg/ ml injection
14) Lidocaine injection
15) Hydralazine injection

Speaking on concerns about the lower supply of these drugs, Mahesh Doshi, President, Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA) said, “We have checked with our IDMA member companies and realised that there is no shortage of these medicines in the market. However, due to the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country, pharma manufacturers across the country faced operational difficulties in production. The majority of issues were related to manpower, logistics and low availability of raw materials, all these could be the reasons for the lower supply of these medicines in the market.”

He further informed that IDMA has communicated and requested all its members to ensure the availability of these medicines in the market. He also said that the companies have also been assured that if they face any of the problems mentioned above, the association will initiate necessary steps towards their resolution.

Sudarshan Jain, Secretary-General,  Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) said, “We have checked with the IPA members who are involved in manufacturing these essential medicines and found that we are maintaining the supply as against the pre-COVID-19 situation. Nevertheless, we have communicated to our member companies about the lower supply of 15 essential drugs in the market as well as the need to ensure the availability of these drugs in the market. Similarly, we have also updated the DCGI about ensuring the availability of these 15 essential drugs in the market from our member companies.”

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