The government has banned 156 fixed-dose combinations (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.

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 pain medications manufactured by pharma companies.

There are also certain FDCs, such as 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 Centre has also banned the FDC of paracetamol, tramadol, taurine, and caffeine. Tramadol is a painkiller. According to the notification, the use of FDC drugs can be dangerous to health, as safer alternatives are available, the Health Ministry found. The matter was investigated upon by an expert committee appointed by the Centre.

These FDCs were also examined by DTAB, which recommended that these FDCs have no justification.

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 such medicines which have already been discontinued by many drug manufacturers.

In June last year 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 drug companies.