Some ointments that have been banned are alclometasone, beclomethasone, desonide and fluocinonide among others. (Express Photo by Pradeep Kumar)
To prevent the indiscriminate sale of ointments containing steroids and antibiotics without prescription, the Union Health Ministry has banned over-the-counter sale of 14 such products. The preparations were included under the Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, in a notification issued on March 23.
The decision was taken following consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, which had recommended a ban on the sale of such creams without a prescription and also submitted their recommendations to the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation. The move comes after dermatologists complained that pharmaceutical companies were selling steroid-based creams to patients, who use them without medical guidance. Some ointments that have been banned are alclometasone, beclomethasone, desonide and fluocinonide among others. ENS