IN A long belated move, the Drugs Controller of India early October instructed all state controlling and licensing authorities to ensure that fixed dose combinations of drugs are not sold anywhere. The rule is likely to be extended to cover the manufacture and marketing of fixed dose combinations of modern drugs with Ayurvedic drugs, or any other system of medicine, fixed dose combination of oxyphenbutane, phenylbutazone, fixed dose combination of analgin with any other drugs and fixed dose combinations dextropoxphere.

Among the drugs already banned are anti-diarrhoeals such as kaolin pectin among others. Consumer groups had long decried the doubtful efficacy of these drugs some of whkh ror dangerous if consumed in large dn It was against this backdrop that ear voluntary forums had gone tothe m to direct the Drug Controller to implement the ban and to expand the list of such harmful drugs to be banned.