Govt may allow controlled retailing of vaccine

The government may allow restricted retail sales of Oseltamivir capsules, the only known medicine for treatment of H1N1 flu (swine flu), if the number of patients continue to increase in the coming weeks.

The health ministry is exploring the possibilities of permitting the sale under Schedule X of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, to allow regulatory authorities keep track of the entire supply chain.

Retail chemists need special permission to sell Schedule X medicines. The chemists will also have to maintain a copy of every prescription against which the drug has been sold. “The health ministry is yet to take a decision. If included in the Schedule X list, the government will be able to keep track of the movement of oseltamivir capsules. Its sale will be strictly against prescription and through select outlets. The medicines will be stored separately, under proper lock and key,” sources said.

It is known that less than five per cent of registered chemist shops and hospitals in Delhi sell Schedule X medicines. Currently, no importer or manufacturer of the medicine is allowed to sell oseltamivir in the open market. The entire stock is procured by the government, to be supplied through its own channels. The move is also intended to arrest the possibilities of illegal hoarding and sale of the medicine in the country.

In a hurriedly convened meeting with state drug controllers from all parts of the country on Wednesday, the Union health ministry reiterated its resolve to stop unauthorised sale of medicines. The regulators were also asked to step up vigil against the hoarding and grey market sale of protective masks. The ministry also held talks with companies such as Cipla, Hetero, Ranbaxy, Natco, Strides and Roche to ensure the supply of Oseltamivir capsules on a competitive pricing basis.