Scheduling OTC Scheduling OTC Medicines to Empower Medicines to Empower

the Consumer: the Consumer: Challenges and Challenges and OpportunitiesOpportunities

Scheduling OTC Scheduling OTC Medicines to Empower Medicines to Empower

the Consumer: the Consumer: Challenges and Challenges and OpportunitiesOpportunities

B.Gitanjali & K.WeerasuriyaB.Gitanjali & K.Weerasuriya

When choosing a non-prescription medicine what factors are most important to you?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

I know it is safe

Product is recognisable

I know it works

A name that I can trust

I have confidence in the product

It is the one I usually use

I know it works quickly

The price

It is easy to take

It is value for money

Global average Taiwan

The Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, conducted by Nielsen Customized Research, was conducted in April 2008 among 28,153 internet users in 51 markets from Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and the Middle East.

This talk is about scheduling This talk is about scheduling

OTC drugs to enhance access to OTC drugs to enhance access to

consumers of simple medicines consumers of simple medicines

for common minor conditionsfor common minor conditions

Even prescription only medicines are Even prescription only medicines are

available in pharmacies without a available in pharmacies without a

prescription. So why should we bother about prescription. So why should we bother about

the OTC drugs? the OTC drugs?

It is illegal

It is in the interest of the consumers and other stake holders to have a legally recognized

schedule to promote access

What are the issues pertaining to OTC drugs in India?

Exception to the rule

Simple scheduling

with simple rules

will be beneficial to

allPerhaps we could call them ‘non-

prescription drugs’ and not OTC

Do we need to bother

with all this?

Example No.1 – man goes to a pharmacist

I am having fever and body ache since last night. Please give me some medicine

You can take this “new medicine” for fever… a bit costly but it is good. I am also giving you an antibiotic…just in case there are some germs…take one vitamin injection first to help you get better quickly…

Hmmm..Good chance to rip him off…

Example No.2 – man treats himself

I am having fever and body ache since last

night. What should I do? I will take a tablet of Crocin

and see if I feel better. In

case the fever persists or I

get worse, I will go and see

a doctor. …

Guide consumer behaviour towards responsible self medication…

What are the medicines What are the medicines that should be sold as that should be sold as

OTC?OTC?

Pain killers, antipyretics, cough and cold medicines, medicines for allergy, ORS, antiseptics for cuts and burns, medicines for heart burn, constipation, vitamins and minerals, topical agents for aches and sprains…

Like the OTC drugs another Like the OTC drugs another schedule - the ‘Pharmacy only’ schedule - the ‘Pharmacy only’

drugs….drugs….

Would be limited to pharmacies but sold without a prescription, as the pharmacist is competent enough to prescribe them.

e.g. mebendazole, oral contraceptive, omeprazole

There could be gradations in the scheduling of these non-prescription drugs.

What would scheduling What would scheduling entail?entail?

What would scheduling What would scheduling entail?entail?

OTC in India

“Maximum number of OTC drugs sold by qualified chemists and pharmacists are from branded companies like Pfizer Inc., share of which is estimated at about 8%, followed by Sanofi-Aventis 7% and Johnson & Johnson 5.5%..” -Assocham study, 2008.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)

What are potential problems?

Misuse of OTC drugs causes

1,78,000 hospitalizations a

year

" Take a pill as soon as you know that things have gone wrong. And you can prevent an unplanned pregnancy. That's it. And do be little careful the next time. Now there goes

the alarm. Switch it off and begin a new day…

To sum up…• Scheduling OTC drugs will

empower the consumer• The regulations should be

enforced• Advertising should be monitored