NHRC notice to Health Ministry on similar names of medicines, said- this is a serious issue of human rights

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent notices to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and the Union Health Ministry after taking suo motu cognizance of an article that appeared in the media. The article alleges that there are a large number of medicines whose names are similar in spelling or pronunciation, but they are used in the treatment of different diseases.

As there is currently no such database in the nation, the NHRC stated in a statement that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) should first establish a database of brand names of all medications by gathering information from 36 different drug controllers in each state and union territory. Furthermore, the authorities do not keep track of any errors made when prescribing medication.

The article informs readers that since medications with similar names are used to treat entirely different diseases, patients may suffer very serious consequences if there is confusion between them when speaking or writing. According to the Commission, there is a serious violation of human rights if the information in the article is accurate. Therefore, it has called for a detailed report from the Union Health Secretary and DCGI within four weeks.

According to Jagran, they will also have to explain the steps taken or proposed steps to deal with the issue. The newspaper article published on January 25 also gives examples of some medicines with similar names. For example- ‘Linamac 5’ is used in the treatment of one type of cancer while ‘Linamac’ is used in diabetes.