A first-of-its-kind in the state, the State Drugs Control Department is introducing SMS alerts against banned or substandard drugs from next month.
The public would get an SMS alert from the Drugs Control Department once a drug is found to be substandard or banned.
Stating that the system would help the public in a big way, Drugs Controller C S Satheesh Kumar said that the people would be aware of the drugs that they use through this system.
“The trial run was satisfactory and the new system would be introduced from next month,” he said.
Satheesh Kumar said that all the paper works had been completed.
“We have coordinated with the National Informatics Centre and Keltron regarding the mobile phone network.
Everything is ready and people will receive alerts from next month,” he said.
A simple process, he said that the facility could be availed of by registering at the Department’s website www.
dc.
kerala.
gov.
in.
Once a drug is notified as substandard or banned, the alert would reach the registered persons within three minutes, he said.
Apart from the public, the alert will also be sent to doctors, pharmacists and wholesale/ retail drug dealers.
Noting that transparency would be brought to the whole system, Satheesh Kumar said that presently it took weeks to intimate people concerned about the banned or substandard drugs.
“A lot of paper work is now needed for intimating the doctors, hospitals and the pharmacists about the banned or substandard drugs.
“The drug could have been sold out in the market before the notification reaches the doctor or the pharmacist.
Moreover, the public have no knowledge of the drugs.
“But now with the SMS alert, it is only a matter of seconds that the doctors, pharmacists, dealers and the patients know about it,” he said.
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