Centre urges chemists to ensure adequate stock of essential medicines amid rise in COVID cases

The government has asked the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) to guarantee the supply of important pharmaceuticals to manage Covid-19 and other essential medicines to face future health issues. According to media reports, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority and the Medicine Controller General of India met with the AIOCD to review the current status of drug supply. The AIOCD stated in a letter to its district associations that the government is worried about an increase in instances of the Omicron and Delta strains of coronavirus and that there should be no shortages of medications in the nation.

Cough syrups, paracetamol pills, Vitamin C, zinc tablets, azithromycin, and ivermectin should not be in short supply, according to the government. It has expressly requested that pharmacists have a buffer stock of certain medications on hand. The media source stated that the government had advised all members to store supplies to tackle future obstacles. The AIOCD has also requested that state authorities guarantee that no drugs are being hoarded. The number of Covid-19 cases in India is rapidly increasing. The government recorded a one-day increase of 58,097 new coronavirus infections, the most in almost 199 days.

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The number of active cases has risen to 2,14,004, accounting for 0.61 percent of all infections, with the national COVID-19 recovery rate standing at 98.01 percent, according to the health ministry on January 5. During the second wave, demand for remdesivir skyrocketed, and drug stockpiling exacerbated supply concerns, allowing black marketeers to raise prices.

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• Cough syrups
• paracetamol
• COVID
• Coronavirus
• vaccine
• chemist