In the 90s, when names such as Human Immuno deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) had just appeared in the public domain in Kerala, an unknown Malayali from Kochi without any background in medical science offered to “completely cure the life-threatening condition” with a “magical drug”.
According to doctors, the advertisements he placed in the media were tricky. The catch was that even if the condition of HIV/AIDS patients did not improve, they were unlikely to share it in public or complain. Public health activists claim that the duping of gullible people, including the well-educated, by unauthorised medical practitioners continues even now. “Most of these ads claim to cure sexual disorders, diabetes, and thyroid problems and help you recover from addiction to liquor, through medicines,” says M.P. Anil Kumar, functionary of the Campaign Against Pseudo Science Using Law and Ethics (CAPSULE), a collective against quacks and illegal medical advertisements.
Firstly, these drugs do not offer an immediate cure. Also, some of them, like those so-called “drugs for diabetes”, are to be taken as supplements with other allopathic or Ayurvedic drugs. “Even if the patient feels better after some time, it may not be easily possible to ascertain if the supplements have had their effect,” Mr. Anil Kumar said. “According to a study conducted by CAPSULE among prominent newspapers in Thiruvananthapuram, 39% of such ads deal with the cure for sexual disorders,” he said. People addicted to liquor may not take the medicines on their own. In most cases, it is the family members who force these people to try them out. None of these people are likely to discuss the effects of the drugs claims Mr. Anil Kumar.
Self-medication
Doctors say buying medicines based on ads is dangerous because it amounts to self-medication and does not involve the expertise of a medical practitioner.
The medical practitioner needs to observe the effect of the medicine on the body and change the medication and treatment accordingly. That doesn’t happen here. “Another thing is the popular misconception that they all are Ayurvedic products without any side-effects. Actually most of these manufacturers who claim to cure diseases don’t have valid licence or registration,” Mr. Anil Kumar said.
Petition
The CAPSULE has been petitioning the Drugs Control Department against these ads citing provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Magical Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The authorities recently suspended the licence of a Kollam-based Ayurvedic practitioner after he claimed through advertisements that oral drops he invented could cure cancer.
The Food Safety Department too had taken action against two manufacturers who were found selling capsules that offered to “cure” a bone disease, diabetes, and varicose vein. They were found to have got licence for food supplements, but later resorting to marketing tricks to sell their products as drugs.
It is better to look before you leap.