In a fresh measure to ensure enough availability of required medicines—primarily antibiotics, vitamins and hormones in India, Government is planning to restrict export of around 12 medicines, to combat predictable shortage of essential drugs a lockdown in China’s Coronavirus-epicentre Hubei that is a princely supplier of raw materials and pharmaceutical ingredients., used in medicine formulations.

The expert committee of eight members that the government has formed has suggested to imposed restrictions on 12 drugs that include chloramphenicol, neomycin, metronidazole, azithromycin, clindamycin; vitamin B1, B2 they have streamlined after assessing the abundance of availability of medicines in India.

Further, the committee also urged the government to invoke the Essential Commodities Act provision in all the States and launch a strict vigil against hoarders and any kind of artificial shortage. States should take steps to ensure that traders do not exploit consumers by hiking price of either medicines or pharmaceutical ingredients consistent to medicine formulations.

It has been observed that there is enough We have gathered that there is enough supply checklist to continue for another couple of months. But, as Hubei and Shandong are the two are a supplier of 20-25% of the raw material, another 15 days of lockdown may leave India scrambling for a certain group of medicines.

India imports around 80-85% of APIs from China. While some major pharma companies like Lupin, Sun Pharma and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories manufacture APIs locally for a few medicines, it's mostly for captive use.
The committee sought data from leading pharmaceutical firms, industry associations like Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA), Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) and Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI).

Story Source Times of India