India has long been classified as a country that is the dumping ground for drugs that have been banned in foreign shores. Though, it seems this might not be the case in the future as India has started to crack down on the sale of such medicines and has recently made the sale of such drugs illegal.

Such drugs have been banned after recommendations were made by a sub-committee of the drug regulator known as the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) that is led by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Talking about the action taken by authorities, the Drug Controller General of India, Dr. Surinder Singh, said that things will see a marked change in the times to come. He added that it is true that there is no data regarding banned drugs and the country depends for such information on external sources.

He added that the authority will be able to ban the drugs based on the pharmacovigilance programme.

Editor of Medical Specialties, Dr. CM Gulhati, said that once the Union Health Ministry announces the ban on a drug. It is taken off pharmaceutical stores and its manufacturing is stopped.

He further informed that drugs like Analgin (also known as Novalgin, Baralgon, and Nimesulide), Thioridazine Ccarisoprodol, Quiniodochlor, Nimulid and Nise have been banned.