Govt bans pain killer drug

The government has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of painkiller drug dextropropoxyphene in the country.
The drug was under the scanner of authorities for quite sometime after it was banned in various countries, including the US and the UK.
"...Central Government hereby suspends manufacture for sale, sale and distribution of the drug with immediate effect," a government notification said.
Dextyropropoxyphene, an opioid analgesic, was suspended under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940.
Reports suggests that the European Medicines Agency had recommended its withdrawal across the EU in 2009, saying the drug's risks, particularly the risk of a potential fatal overdose, are higher than its benefits.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had also banned the continued prescribing and its use after a study suggested it can lead to serious toxicity to the heart even when used at approved therapeutic doses.
Following the Centre's directive, the Himachal Pradesh government also suspended the manufacture, sale and distribution of dextropropoxyphene.