We are monitoring sale, supply of medicines for COVID-19 treatment: Haryana FDA

Narendra Ahooja, State Drug Controller, Haryana informed that the state has recently procured 400 vials of remdesivir and actemra (tocilizumab) from Cipla through Haryana Medical Services Corporation (HMSC), the procurement agency. Stating that Haryana’s Food and Drugs Administration is helping the state government fight the COVID-19 pandemic, he also apprised that the authority is also monitoring the sale of each medicine and its supply.

He said, “Understanding the very grey market situation, particularly for COVID-19-related treatment, we are taking all measures to curb black marketing of key medicines. For instance, presently, in and around the state, there are around 75 patients who are on oxygen support and 11 of them are on ventilators. To monitor consumption of the required medicines for COVID-19 treatment, we are gathering information from private as well as government hospitals about critical patients and the need for remdesivir/tocilizumab injections. Based on the assessment, we supply to them. Once the medicines are supplied to the respective hospitals, our team is in touch with the patients to verify whether the supplies have reached the right place.”

Speaking on measures to ensure uninterrupted supply of these key medicines, Ahooja commented, “The depot of one of the leading suppliers of remdesivir and tocilizumab is based at Ambala, Haryana. Therefore, we can easily monitor need-based supplies.”