EFFECT OF REGULATORY

INTERVENTION ON DRUG AVAILABILITY IN

NEPAL

Dangi Chettri GB, Kafle KK, Karkee SB, Bhuju GB,

Shrestha BM, Rajbhandari V, Humagain B

Pharmaceutical Horizon of Nepal (PHON)

IntroductionNepal National Drug Policy-1995 was formulated to

safeguard and promote the health of people by ensuring

the availability of safe, effective, standard and quality

drugs at affordable price, in quantities sufficient to cover

every corner of the country.

To ensure the availability of safe drugs, one of the

policy strategies is to ban the manufacture, import, sale

and distribution of ineffective, harmful, toxic as well as

irrationally combined formulations.

ObjectivesThe overall objective of the study was to find out availability of analgin and its combination in the market following banning.

Specific objectivesSpecific objectivesThe specific objectives were to find outThe specific objectives were to find out . availability of analgin alone in the market after

banning. availability of combination of analgin with Pitofenone hydrochloride and Fenpiverinium bromide (Baralgan) after banning

MethodologyAn analytical descriptive study.

. The study was conducted in three districts of the

Kathmandu Valley -Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.

. 29 clusters from municipality's areas of study districts

were selected.

. Minimum of three drug retailers were randomly selected

from each cluster.

. The total number of retailers studied was 113.

. A surrogate with a piece of paper containing the name

of the drug visited each retailer.

. The name used was analgin or novalgin, and Baralgan

(a fixed dose combination of analgin with other drugs).

. The baseline was collected one month before

restriction on sale and distribution (i.e. five months

after the notice).

. Post intervention data were collected one, five and

sixteen months after the notification became effective.

ResultsAvailability of products before and after the effective date of banning

Analgin(%) Baralgan(%)Baseline 96.5 97.3

One month 87.6 87.6

Five months 21.2 20.4

Sixteen months 0.0 0.0

There has been gradual decrease in the availability of drugs in the retail outlet after the notification became effective.It took many months to become the intervention effective.

Conclusion

. Inspection and monitoring of customs, importers, and

retailers.

. Information about the ban through different media.

. Effective monitoring/supervision along with

information dissemination about banned product

through different media should be undertaken by

drug regulatory authority.A study to test this strategy

should be carried out in future.