Latest news with #CDSCO
India Gazette
18 hours ago
- Health
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand: Valley of Flowers opens for tourists on June 1
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 1 (ANI): The world-renowned Valley of Flowers in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand welcomed tourists on Sunday. On its first day, the forest department staff welcomed visitors at the main gate, where 62 tourists had registered so far in June. This valley features over 300 species of Himalayan flowers. The Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its over 500 plant species. It is open for tourists every year from June to October. The valley is situated in the Garhwal Himalayas, next to Nanda Devi National Park, and is known for its serene, picturesque beauty. The chief minister announced on Saturday that the Uttarakhand government is ready to take a step toward scientific, safe, and environmentally responsible medicine disposal in the state. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has started work towards implementing the guidelines issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in the state. A release said this decision is not just an administrative process but a transformative initiative to make Uttarakhand a model state of a 'green health system' across the country. Health Secretary and Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, said that till now, there has been a lack of a clear and consistent system for the disposal of expired and unused medicines.'This challenge becomes more serious in an environmentally sensitive state like Uttarakhand. Now we are moving towards controlling it under a well-planned system,' Kumar said. He informed that in these guidelines, the process has been decided keeping in mind every stage of the life cycle of medicines from production to consumption and then proper disposal. Kumar further said that under the 'Healthy Citizen, Clean Uttarakhand' mission announced by the Chief Minister, this initiative will take the state towards a green and sustainable healthcare model. With this decision, the possibility of establishing the state as a leading state in the field of environmental responsibility and health security at the national and international levels has also become stronger. Only the active participation of all the parties involved in this entire process, policymakers, business organisations and common citizens, can make this mission successful. Uttarakhand is moving towards becoming an example in this direction. Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar informed that as per the plan of the Health Department, 'Drug Take-Back Sites' will be set up in a phased manner in urban, semi-urban and hilly areas of Uttarakhand. Here, common citizens will be able to deposit unused, expired or spoiled medicines lying in their homes. Medicines from these centres will be collected scientifically and disposed of in specially approved processing units. (ANI)
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Uttarakhand takes steps for environmentally responsible disposal of medicines
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government is ready to take a big step for scientific, safe and environmentally responsible disposal of medicines in the state. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has started work towards implementing the guidelines issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the state. This decision is not just an administrative process, but a transformative initiative towards making Uttarakhand a model state of " green health system " across the country, a release said. Health Secretary and Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar, said that till now, there has been a lack of a clear and consistent system for the disposal of expired and unused medicines. "This challenge becomes more serious in an environmentally sensitive state like Uttarakhand. Now we are moving towards controlling it under a well-planned system," Kumar said. He informed that in these guidelines, the process has been decided keeping in mind every stage of the life cycle of medicines from production to consumption and then proper disposal. Kumar further said that under the "Healthy Citizen, Clean Uttarakhand" mission announced by the Chief Minister, this initiative will take the state towards a green and sustainable healthcare model. With this decision, the possibility of establishing the state as a leading state in the field of environmental responsibility and health security at the national and international level has also become stronger. Only the active participation of all the parties involved in this entire process, policy makers, business organizations and common citizens can make this mission successful. Uttarakhand is moving towards becoming an example in this direction. Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar informed that as per the plan of the Health Department, " Drug Take-Back Sites " will be set up in a phased manner in urban, semi-urban and hilly areas of Uttarakhand. Here common citizens will be able to deposit unused, expired or spoiled medicines lying in their homes. Medicines from these centers will be collected scientifically and disposed of in specially approved processing units. Dr. R. Rajesh Kumar said that the CDSCO guideline presents a scientific framework for safe disposal of medicines. It has a provision to divide medicines into categories like expired, unused, recalled and spoiled in cold chain. Techniques like incineration and encapsulation have been suggested for disposal. Arrangements like color-coded biomedical waste bags, tracking and log book system make it more effective. This guideline has been prepared in accordance with WHO standards and Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016, so that the side effects of medicines on human health and environment can be reduced. Additional Commissioner FDA and Drug Controller Tajbar Singh Jaggi said that the system that was in place till now regarding the disposal of medicines in the state was scattered and unorganized. "Now we will control it through a 'third party monitoring system' and local drug enforcement units. Accountability will be fixed for all the manufacturing companies, wholesalers and retailers, hospitals and consumers. We will also run extensive public awareness campaigns in this direction so that common citizens also become partners in this system," Jaggi said. He further added that this step is necessary because uncontrolled disposal of medicines can pose a serious threat not only to the environment but also to public health. Such disposal can lead to mixing of toxic chemicals in rivers, lakes and underground water sources, which harms natural resources. At the same time, if the medicines come in contact with animals or children, a serious health crisis can arise. Apart from this, global problems like antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can also increase due to wrong and excessive use of medicines. The Uttarakhand government has made solid preparations to deal with these challenges. The Additional Commissioner and Drug Controller said that the State Drug Control Department would be made the monitoring agency, the Druggists and Chemists Association would be linked to the take-back system, task forces would be formed in the districts and arrangements would be made for monitoring and audit of data through the e-drug log system.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
CDSCO lists 17 drugs safe to flush to prevent harm from misuse at home
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has released a list of 17 medicines—including opioids such as fentanyl, tapentadol and buprenorphine—permitting the general public to flush them down the sink or toilet to prevent harm to people and pets in the home. The list is part of the central drug regulator's draft guidance document for the safe disposal of unused or expired drugs, aimed at preventing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other public health risks. 'There is a small number of medicines that may be especially harmful and, in some cases, fatal with just one dose if they are used by someone other than the person for whom the medicine was prescribed,' the CDSCO stated in a guidance document dated 26 May. The CDSCO added that the objective of the guidance document is to provide clear and comprehensive instructions, in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and other applicable laws, for the safe disposal of expired and unused drugs. Unscientific disposal of unused or expired medicines is considered one of the primary sources of environmental pollution, with carelessly discarded antibiotics seeping into soil and water bodies and eventually affecting human life. 'In an effort to tackle the unsafe disposal of unused drugs, state governments, in coordination with local bodies, may establish the methodology and facilities for the collection and disposal of unused or expired drugs according to the provisions of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016,' the document added. The draft guidance also details methods for the collection, storage, transport and disposal of 11 other types of expired or unused drug dosages and packaging, with separate instructions for manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, hospitals and other stakeholders. These include anti-infectives, antineoplastics, radioactive drugs, and medicines in packaging such as ampoules, aerosol canisters and PVC materials, among others. The draft proposal for the safe disposal of unused and expired medicines comes five years after it was first placed at the 58th meeting of the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) of the CDSCO in July 2020. The committee had recommended constituting a sub-committee to examine the issue and prepare the guidance document.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Need clarity on disposal and return process for cut medicine strips and surgical products: Bangalore Chemists' Association
Welcoming the guidance document on safe disposal of unused and expired drugs released by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) this week, the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists' Association (BDCDA) has sought clarification on the disposal methods for expired cut strips of medicines and surgical products. Currently, there is no provision for the return and the disposal of these products. The CDSCO's guidance document is aimed at addressing issues emerging from the careless disposal of unused or expired medicines and the hazards it creates in the environment and public health. The document is expected to help various stakeholders, including the general public, to dispose of expired or unused medicine in a safe manner, and is also an important move towards curbing the growth of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General (India), in a communication dated May 25 to the Drugs Controllers of all States and Union Territories, called on them to encourage the stakeholders concerned in their respective States to adopt the guidelines for safe disposal of expired/unused drugs which will be an important step in combating AMR in the country. The guidance document analyses various methods, including landfill after encapsulation or inertisation of drugs, use of sewer, burning in open containers, medium temperature incineration, novel high temperature incineration, and chemical decomposition. Examining the existing rule position, it details the procedures to be followed by stakeholders for the disposal of such drugs at each level. Need clarity 'Upon reviewing the guidance document, we have identified several areas that require clarification and necessary ratification to ensure the successful and practical implementation of the disposal framework,' said BDCDA president B. Thirunavukkarasu. 'We need clarity on the disposal and return process for cut strips of medicines, for Propaganda-cum-Distribution (PCD) medicines, expired generics where high-trade margins are cited, and expired surgical products such as gloves and syringes. Currently, these are disposed of just like any other trash in the dustbin,' Mr. Thirunavukkarasu said. Elaborating on the operational challenges from a retailer's perspective, he said there is a need to align with the industry practice of 150 days for return of expired medicines presently followed owing to the MoU signed between National Trade body and the pharma companies or provide a flexible period of 60 to 90 days. 'Common batch number mismatches owing to fragmented supply chains must be resolved to avoid denial of returns,' he added.
Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
AstraZeneca Pharma gets CDSCO nod to import and distribute for Benralizumab solution in India
AstraZeneca Pharma India announced that it has received permission from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Directorate General of Health Services, Government of India, to import, sell, and distribute Benralizumab Solution. Through this approval, Benralizumab is indicated as an add-on treatment for adult patients with relapsing or refractory eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). This approval paves the way for the marketing of Benralizumab Solution for Injection (brand name Fasenra) in India for the specified additional indication, subject to the receipt of any related statutory approvals, if required. AstraZeneca Pharma India is engaged in the business of manufacture, distribution, and marketing of pharmaceutical products and also provides clinical trial services to an overseas group company. The companys standalone net profit surged to Rs 54.68 crore in Q3 FY25 as compared with Rs 15.80 crore in Q3 FY24. Revenue from operations jumped 44% to Rs 440.29 crore in Q3 FY25 as compared with Rs 305.79 crore in Q3 FY24. The scrip shed 0.10% to end at Rs 7,910.55 on the BSE.
