Coronavirus outbreak | Govt panel lists essential medicines that may run out of stock: Report

India may run out of supplies of some essential medicines as the coronavirus outbreak has interrupted import of key raw materials from China, The Economic Times reported.

The drugs that may run out of supply include crucial antibiotics such as amoxicillin, moxifloxacin, doxycycline and tuberculosis (TB) drug rifampicin, the report said.

The publication said it viewed a report submitted by a high-level government committee to the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) last week. Of the 54 drugs reviewed by the panel, 34 do not have an alternative, the report stated.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

Around 32 drugs were categorised as critical and essential, 15 as non-critical and essential and seven drugs as essential, the report stated.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) such as potassium clavulanate, ceftriaxone sodium sterile, piperacillin tazobactum, meropenam, vancomycin, gentamycin and ciprofloxacin have no alternatives and are used in the manufacture of critical and essential drugs, it said.

The panel had asked Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to review the medicines, the report added.

Of the medicines reviewed by ICMR, 38 are part of the National List of Essential medicines (NLEM) and Schedule 1 of the Drug Price Control Order, it said.

It is mandatory for drugs listed under the NLEM to be available in adequate supply. Such medicines should also be sold at prices set by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

After new cases of coronavirus were reported in India on March 2, the government scheduled a number of meetings on March 3, sources told the paper.

Globally, over 3,000 people have died from the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. In India, six confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported so far.