COVID-19 drugs Favipiravir and Remdesivir to be available in stores in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Here’s good news amidst rising number of COVID-19 fatalities in Odisha, as the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has allowed for sale of Favipiravir Tablet and Remdesivir Injectable Formulation  in stores for the treatment of persons infected with the COVID-19.

However, the drug will be sold to the public with certain restrictions, the Directorate of Drugs Control, Odisha, informed today.

As per conditions set by the DCGI for sale of COVID-19 drug and injection to patients, the medicine will be sold under prescription by the doctors and it will be available to the patient or patient’s representative following furnishing residence proof.

The market sale of Favipiravir Tablet and Remdesivir Injectable Formulation is allowed in Odisha on following conditions:

1. The drug will be sold under prescription of medical specialists

2. Informed consent of the patient or his/her representative in the prescribed form is mandatory before initiating the treatment

3. The drug will be made available to the patient/ his representative only through in-house retail chemists attached to hospitals/nursing homes having valid drug licences. Where there is no in-house retail chemist shop in the hospital/ nursing home, the local Drugs Inspector will identify one or more retail chemist shop through whom the drugs will be made available.

4. The retail chemist shop will mandatorily retain a photocopy of the prescription, photocopy of written consent of the patient or his/her representative, residential proof of the purchaser and his/her contact details before supply of the medicines as record for verification in addition to fulfilment of other conditions under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules.

5. Remdesivir formulations are required to be supplied for use only to the hospitals/institutions to ensure proper use of the drug under the Restricted Emergency Use. In no case Remdesivir formulation is to be sold to any patient/his representative directly.

6. The retail chemist shall furnish details of purchase/ sell of the above drugs to the respective range Drugs Inspector on a weekly basis.

In case there is no in-house chemist shop attached to any hospital/ nursing home, the drug inspector is to identify one or more standalone stockist and retail chemist to facilitate supply of the drugs. The official is to ensure the stockist and retail chemist having valid drug licences must have a good track record under the provision of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules there under. The drug official is to verify purchase and sale details of the stockists/ retail chemists from time to time to weed out possible hoarding or black marketing and report compliance.