[e-drug] Banning of medicines in India (2)

e-drug
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E-DRUG: Banning of medicines in India (2)
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Hi

I support the suggestion for a concentrated action on the issue. It is indeed sad to find medicines which are banned in other countries, to find pediatric preparations of such banned medicines, preparations of doubtful efficacy and irrational combinations in Indian market. Further the medicine promotion of such products is far from being ethical.

It is surprising why the concerned authorities are not realising the existence of the problem, which is severe, pressing and calling for immediate attention. Those who should be concerned as a part of their built in duty, for which they are employed and paid or elected and paid,are not performing. What they shoud be doing in natural course of functioning, they are not heeding to in spite of being told.In the times when patient empowerment,patient rights, medicine rights are being discussed, we seem to be living in historical era.

The political will to cleanse the system is lacking. We have had many medical doctors in the political leadership, as health ministers and also as bureaucrats but all seem to have thrown towels. Either their spines are not strong to sustain the mission or they are more busy at other business!

Dr Vijay Thawani

Join in Network for Rational Use of Medicines (NetRUM) E-discussions at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/netrum

21-30 July : How to succeed with National Pharmacovigilance Programme?
Moderator - Dr Manoj Swaminathan.

Thanks
Dr Vijay Thawani
vijaythawani@rediffmail.com

2

E-DRUG: First notification under Para 6 of the TRIPs Public Health Amendment
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The first notification under Paragraph 6 of the TRIPS and Public Health Amendment was received this week and will be made available on the WTO website. The notification was made by Rwanda to import 3 ARVs from Canada. Details here:

http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news07_e/public_health_july07_e.htm

20 July 2007
TRIPS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Patents and health: WTO receives first notification under ‘paragraph 6’ system

Rwanda on 19 July 2007 became the first country to inform the WTO that it is using the 30 August 2003 decision designed to ease the way for countries with public health problems to import cheaper generics made under compulsory licensing elsewhere when they are unable to manufacture the medicines themselves (often referred to as the “paragraph 6 system”, i.e. implementing paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health).
  
The notification comes under paragraph 2(a) of the 30 August 2003 General Council decision, which requires eligible importing countries to report the details of the medicines they intend to import.

As a least-developed country, Rwanda does not have to notify that it wants to be an “eligible importing member” under paragraph 1(b) of the 2003 decision (and 2005 amendment decision).

Cheers,

Tim Wilson
Research Fellow
Institute of Public Affairs
twilson@ipa.org.au