Hyderabad: Centre to reclassify Oxytocin drug

Hyderabad: Retail and wholesale chemists have returned the stock of Oxytocin injections since it was to be sold only directly by the public sector company. The Centre, however, will now reclassify the drug under schedule H creating major confusion among chemists.

Drug controllers have also issued a notice that chemists must not stock and sell this drug.

Oxytocin injections are life-saving drugs used to prevent postpartum haemorrhage. These drugs will now be manufactured by the Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Limited and supplied to all maternity centres across the country. The order comes into force from September 1.

The health ministry has issued a notification that Oxytocin was to be reclassified from Schedule H to Schedule H1 category. This move is to ensure that all sales are documented like it has been done for antibiotics. Chemists are confused since rescheduling the drug does not make sense if it is not going to be sold in the retail market.

According to sources, the proposition of rescheduling the drug came from gynecologists who are demanding removal of these restrictions so that maternity homes in far flung areas are able to access the drug at retail stores. If the drug is not available during an emergency it will lead to deaths.

President of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India, Dr Hema Diwaker explained, “The present practice in small nursing homes is to order the drug from the chemists. The big hospitals have a pharmacy in which it is stored. Hence, chemists are an important chain in distribution and removing the drug from retail sale has already created panic in the industry.”

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