Make reading vital facts on meds easy

There has been much conversation of late pertaining to pharmaceutical industry standards. In the face of controversies around the quality of medicines manufactured by some Indian pharma companies in domestic and foreign markets, as well as GoI‘s invitation to stakeholders to make suggestions for the draft New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics (D&C) Bill, 2022 – updating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act (DCA), 1940 – this conversation is welcome. But there is a ‘simpler’ industry ailment that needs treatment – medicine labelling. There are far too many instances of medicines being sold where the two vital facts required – name of medicine and expiry date of batch – are near-impossible to find. This is especially true for metallic foil strips and blister packs where neither particulars are visible. For senior citizens and those with eyesight challenges, this is a serious irritant and concern.

Section 96 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 details the mandatory requirement for labelling – ‘either printed or in indelible ink and shall appear in a conspicuous manner on the ‘the innermost container’ of any drug and on every other covering in which the container is packed’. It is important to separately mention the ‘innermost container’ as a vast majority of customers buy individual foils, strips and packs, not meds in bulk boxes, according to prescription.

It is essential the labelling, especially on reflecting foil surfaces, of name and expiry date is not just visible but conspicuously so. Finding them must not be a ‘spot the name/date’ puzzle as it is now in many cases. The Union health ministry, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and industry need to quickly fix this ailing problem by simple, strict implementation.