Can’t Judge A Medicine By Its Name: Government To Regulate Brands Under Which Medicines Are Sold

The Union government might approve new regulations to prevent pharma companies from selling different products under the same brand names, Mint has reported. This move will eliminate confusion over names of different medicines.

In a recent meeting called by the Union Health Ministry, it was concluded that brand and trade names used by pharma companies for their products neither follow the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act nor those of the Trade Marks Act, 1999. This provides these companies with considerable leeway to sell different products under the same brand names. Under the current scenario, customers might buy the wrong medicines which have the same name.

Commenting on the move, President of Karnataka Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers’ Association (KDPMA) Sunil Attavar said: “We welcome the proposal to submit the official trademark search report when applying for a licence. This will prevent duplication of trade names and potential grave risk to patients as we have seen some products with similar names with different active ingredients.

Attavar added that a change in law is required as the existing licences are issued under the generic name and companies are free to use any brand name. He added that a common registry of names and an online process would help in getting a search report easily. The government is also planning a databank for all medicines in order to prevent similar brand names for products which treat different ailments.

Also Read: Dilemma Of India’s Draft Pharma Policy