Common prescription drug abuse is using medicine in a way not intended by the prescriber which includes taking a friend’s prescription painkiller for your backache to snorting or injecting ground-up pills to get high. The prescription drugs most often misused include opioid painkillers, anti-anxiety medicines, sedatives and stimulants. Prescription drug abuse may become ongoing and compulsive, despite the negative consequences and any age group can be affected. Early identification of prescription drug abuse and early intervention may prevent the problem from turning into an addiction. Prevention is best cure as it not only saves from addiction but money also. Drug Controller office has rightly issued renewed directions for installation of CCTVs at all retail medicine outlets before granting/renew the licenses as drug abuse is assuming an alarming situation and instances have been reported where the pharma people are hand in glove with addicts particularly concerning the sale of intoxicating pharmaceutical preparations like cough syrups. As recent as this year suicide case at Sidhra, Jammu wherein chemist was found not only selling the prescription drug but even facilitating intravenous doses for days together, resulting in sealing of his outlet for days. As present measures are not sufficient so new guidelines have been issued for Full HD CCTV cameras with 1080p resolution with backup storage capacity of at least six months and digitisation of all sale/purchase records in a computerized manner. Another significant order is for registration of sale/distribution of all previously unregulated Medical Devices, including in-vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices, as such any person not holding a license and intending to sell medical devices has to obtain a registration certificate from the appointed competent authority on Form MD-42 as per order. All applicants have to submit their application on Form MD-41 along with requisite documents in the shape of a hard copy in person. The application will have to be disposed of within ten days.
All these measures are well intended and with strict implementation in letter and spirit will definitely help in curbing drug abuse considerably. Timely proactive measures have to be devised with the help of all stake holders. After all generation next has to be saved from the prevailing drug menace.
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