HELLO NATRUMIANS,
TAKING FORWARD THE DISCUSSION ON ETHICS IN DEVELOPMENT
OF MEDICINES,I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE NEED OF THE HOUR IS NOT TO
MAKE NEW LAWS TO SAFEGUARD THE RIGHTS AND SAFETY OF THE PARTICIPANTS
IN A TRIAL BUT TO IMPLEMENT THE EXISTING LAWS MORE STRINGINTLY.THE
PROBLEM WITH THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES LIKE US IS THAT THE PUBLIC
MEMORY ABOUT THE ISSUES OF GREATER SOCIAL, HEALTH AND PUBLIC
INTEREST IS VERY SHORT.THIS HAS LED TO MALPRACTICE OF INTRODUCING
SIMILAR DRUGS WITH THE NEW PACKAGE AND COST STRUCTURE IN THE MARKET
IN THE NAME OF ADVANCEMENT IN MEDICAL FIELD AND THUS INCREASING THE
BULK OF THE LIST OF "ME TOO" DRUGS.BECAUSE OF THE FASCINATION
TOWARDS ANY NEWER DRUG IN THE MARKET,WE MEDICAL EXPERTS AS WELL AS
THE GENERAL PUBLIC START CONSUMING THEM BLINDLY AND THIS LEAD TO A
RAT RACE BETWEEN PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES TO DEVELOP MORE AND MORE
THE SO CALLED 'NEW'DRUGS AND THE ULTIMATE RESULT OF IT IS THAT THE
ETHICS THAT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WHILE DEVELOPING NEWER MEDICINES ARE
SIDELINED FOR THE SELFISH MOTIVES OF FEW PHARMACEUTICAL GIANTS AT
THE SAKE OF HEALTH OF MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRYMEN.
WE AS A HEALTH EXPERT ARE MORE RESPONSIBLE THAN THE
GENERAL PUBLIC TO KEEP A CHECK ON THIS TREND.ALL THE CLINICIANS
SHOULD HAVE A COMPULSORY RE CERTIFICATION SCHEDULE EVERY 5 YEARS OR
SO SO THAT THEY REMAIN UPDATED ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN
MEDICINE AND ARE ALSO ABLE TO JUDGE THE RATIONALITY OF THE USE OF
SUCH NEW DEVELOPMENTS.REGULATORY AUTHORITIES AS WELL AS
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT IN THEIR FUNCTIONING
AND BE MADE ACCOUNTABLE TO GENERAL PUBLIC.ABOVE ALL GENERAL PUBLIC
SHOULD BE VIGILANT ENOUGH TO SAFEGUARD THEIR RIGHTS AND TO OPPOSE
THEIR USE AS GUINEA PIGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE PROFIT OF SOME PEOPLE
IN THE TRIALS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF 'ME TOO' DRUGS

Preetam Gandhi
1st year resident,
Pharmacology,
BJMC,Ahmedabad