These drugs (alprazolam, morphine, codeine, chlordizepoxide, diazepam, flurazepam, lorazepam, nitrazepam and oxazepamfall, among others) fall under the narcotics and psychotropic drugs category and contribute almost Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion) to the annual turnover of the pharmaceuticals industry.
The shortage has occurred after the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, an association of 550,000 retail chemists, directed wholesalers not to buy these drugs from manufacturers, citing harassment because of the bureaucratic procedures under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotrophic Substances Act.
Pharmacists said it was practically impossible to follow the procedures under Rule 67 of the Narcotics Act.
"The rule requires that for each formulation a dealer has to prepare a form in triplicate and send two copies with the dispatch, while an acknowledged copy of the same is to be collected and retained for two years," JS Shinde, general secretary, AIOCD said.
He alleged the Narcotics Bureau in its zeal to check illegal trafficking of drugs had also arrested several innocent dealers.
No less than 40 leading companies, including Ranbaxy, Cipla, Cadila, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharma and Unichem laboratories, have a basket of drugs under this category.
Retail chemists have been instructed not to sell these drugs to any customer from February 10. "A small percentage of our sales comes from these drugs. Because of the AIOCD directive, our sales of these products have come to a virtual halt," said a Ranbaxy spokesperson.
"Patients will find it difficult to procure the drug under prescription from doctors," added
IA Modi, chairman, Cadila Pharmaceuticals. Cadila's brand Anzilum (alprazalam) is marketed under the narcotics category but he feels it has been wrongly slotted.
Some of the fast-moving brands facing shelf shock include Trika of Unichem Laboratories, Cipla's Restyl (anxiolytics), Lonazep from Sun Pharma, Torrent's Clonotril, Petril of Micro Labs, Chericof, Zanlop, Fortwin etc., from Ranbaxy, similar drugs like Pentavon (Jagsonpal), Pentawin (Biochem), Penzyl (Sigma Labs), Expergesic of Win Medicare, Fortagesic of Sanofi, Tidigesic from Sun Pharma, Torrent's Alprax, Nicholas Piramal's Librium, and Zydus Cadilla's Zoldac.
The situation has forced the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, a group of leading Indian pharmaceutical companies such as Ranbanxy, Cipla and Wockhardt, to hold talks with the government.
"We are worried about the shortage of medicines. There are around 56 substances used by the pharmaceutical trade that fall under this category. We have requested the government to exempt a few more substances from this category," said IPA secretary general DG Shah.
Earlier this week, he had met ministry officials regarding the issue.
Drug Bust
The chemists' association has directed wholesalers not to buy these drugs from manufacturers, citing bureaucratic hassles and arrests.
Pharmacists say it is practically impossible to follow the procedures under Rule 67 of the Narcotics Act, which involve a huge amount of paperwork.
40 leading firms, including Ranbaxy, Cipla and Cadila, have a basket of drugs in this category.
Retail chemists have been instructed not to sell these drugs to any customer from February 10.