New Delhi. The government has banned 156 fixed-dose combination (FDC) medicines used for fever, cold, allergy and pain. These medicines will no longer be sold in the market. The government said that these medicines can be dangerous for health.

FDCs are those medicines which are prepared by mixing two or more medicines in a fixed ratio. At present, such medicines are being used on a large scale. These are also called cocktail medicines.

Paracetamol banned

According to a notification issued by the Union Health Ministry on August 12, the government has banned Aceclofenac 50 mg + Paracetamol 125 mg Tablet, used as painkillers, manufactured by pharma companies.

The banned FDCs also include Mefenamic Acid + Paracetamol Injection, Cetirizine HCl + Paracetamol + Phenylephrine HCl, Levocetirizine + Phenylephrine HCl + Paracetamol, Paracetamol + Chlorpheniramine Maleate + Phenyl Propanolamine and Camylofin Dihydrochloride 25 mg + Paracetamol 300 mg.

The combination of paracetamol, tramadol, taurine and caffeine is also banned

The Centre has also banned the combination of paracetamol, tramadol, taurine and caffeine. Tramadol is a painkiller. According to the notification, the Health Ministry found that the use of FDC drugs can be hazardous to health while safer alternatives are available. The matter was investigated by an expert committee appointed by the Centre.

FDCs can be dangerous

The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) also examined these FDCs and recommended that these FDCs have no relevance.

The notification said, FDCs can pose a risk. Therefore, in the public interest, it is necessary to ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of these FDCs. This list includes some medicines which have already been discontinued by many drug manufacturers.

14 FDCs have been banned earlier also

Last year in June also, 14 FDCs were banned. The government had announced a ban on the manufacture, sale and distribution of 344 FDCs in 2016. This decision was challenged in the court by the pharmaceutical companies.