The Indian Pharmacists Association has restricted the pharmacies on dispensing cough syrups to children below the age of 2 years, following recent deaths among children in various parts of the country due to toxic cough syrups.
According to the advisory, pharmacists should not dispense any cough syrup or combination containing antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, or expectorants for children below 2 years of age, even if it's requested over-the-counter or through a prescription.
"All Pharmacists working in community and hospital harms IRS are hereby advised to strictly comply with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) regarding the non-use of cough and cold preparations in children below two (2) years of age," it said.
According the association in cases where cough syrup is prescribed for a child under 2 years, the Pharmacist must responsibly bring it to the notice of the prescriber and recommend a review in line with MOHFW guidelines, it said.
It further asked the pharmacists to counsel parents and caregivers on the risks associated with such medicines in infants and suggest safe, non-medicinal alternatives (e.g., adequate hydration, saline nasal drops, humidified air, and pediatric consultation).
"These preparations have been associated with serious and potentially life-threatening adverse effects in infants, such as respiratory depression, excessive sedation, and toxicity," said the advisory.
The Union health ministry on Sunday directed states to curb irrational use of cough syrups and step up quality checks after reports of multiple child deaths linked to adulterated formulations in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
At a review meeting with health secretaries of all states and union territories, central health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava stressed strict compliance with revised Schedule M norms by all drug manufacturing units and enhanced surveillance to prevent further incidents.
Preliminary findings ruled out common infectious diseases in the affected children, except for one positive case of leptospirosis, the health ministry said in a statement.
Samples of 19 medicines consumed by children were collected from treating private practitioners and retail stores.
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According to the advisory, pharmacists should not dispense any cough syrup or combination containing antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, or expectorants for children below 2 years of age, even if it's requested over-the-counter or through a prescription.
"All Pharmacists working in community and hospital harms IRS are hereby advised to strictly comply with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) regarding the non-use of cough and cold preparations in children below two (2) years of age," it said.
According the association in cases where cough syrup is prescribed for a child under 2 years, the Pharmacist must responsibly bring it to the notice of the prescriber and recommend a review in line with MOHFW guidelines, it said.
It further asked the pharmacists to counsel parents and caregivers on the risks associated with such medicines in infants and suggest safe, non-medicinal alternatives (e.g., adequate hydration, saline nasal drops, humidified air, and pediatric consultation).
"These preparations have been associated with serious and potentially life-threatening adverse effects in infants, such as respiratory depression, excessive sedation, and toxicity," said the advisory.
The Union health ministry on Sunday directed states to curb irrational use of cough syrups and step up quality checks after reports of multiple child deaths linked to adulterated formulations in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
At a review meeting with health secretaries of all states and union territories, central health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava stressed strict compliance with revised Schedule M norms by all drug manufacturing units and enhanced surveillance to prevent further incidents.
Preliminary findings ruled out common infectious diseases in the affected children, except for one positive case of leptospirosis, the health ministry said in a statement.
Samples of 19 medicines consumed by children were collected from treating private practitioners and retail stores.
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