Blue strip on antibiotics: Could this simple label stop India’s OTC misuse crisis?

Key Highlights

• The move aims to make these medicines instantly recognisable, alerting consumers and pharmacists to their prescription-only status and discouraging rampant over-the-counter (OTC) purchases.
• Stakeholders have been given 30 days to provide feedback, after which the amendment is expected to come into force upon final publication in the Official Gazette.
• Officials said the proposal follows consultations with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the apex advisory body for drug regulations in India.
• AMR: India’s silent public health crisis Experts warn that overuse of antibiotics is creating drug-resistant infections that could make common illnesses untreatable.
• According to Dr Kamini Walia, senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), “One in 10 patients admitted with infections are resistant to last-resort antibiotics.” The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, Washington University, estimates that 2,67,000 deaths in India were attributable to AMR in 2021.