Explained: What is the controversy related to Dolo-650 tablets?

New Delhi: Whenever you are suffering from fever or common flu, Dolo-650 is your go-to medication. The company made a tremendous amount of sales during the Covid-19 pandemic when doctors used to recommend the tablets for mild symptoms.

The company that manufactures Dolo-650 tablets saw sky-rocketing profits during the peak time of the Coronavirus outbreak, so much so that the medicine became a meme on social media owing to its frequent use in Indian households. 

However, the company has involved itself in a middle of a controversy after the Federation of Medical & Sales Representatives Association of India (FMRAI) allegedly claimed that it has distributed freebies worth Rs 1000 crores to doctors to push the drugs.

What is Dolo-650 controversy about?

A case between the FMRAI vs Union of India is being heard in the Supreme Court. It has been alleged that Micro Labs was giving freebies to doctors that amounted up to Rs 1000 crore of total prescribed Dolo-650 as the only medicine to all patients with flu symptoms.

Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh and advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing for petitioner ‘Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Association of India told a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that the market price of any tablet up to 500 mg is managed under a price control mechanism of the government, however, the price of drug above 500 mg can be fixed by manufacturer Pharma Company.

Besides, he claimed that to ensure a higher profit margin, the company distributed freebies to doctors to prescribe the drug of dosage of 650 mg capacity.

According to the advocate, the Dolo-650 prescription for most of the patients was an “irrational dose combination.” Following this, the judge Justice Chandrachud stated that the drug was exactly what he was given when he was suffering from Covid-19.

The plea filed against the pharmaceutical company showed that though the practice has been termed a sales promotion, several “unethical” benefits were offered to the doctors to push the drug such as gifts and entertainment, sponsored foreign trips, hospitality, and other benefits.

Notably, unethical drug promotion can adversely influence doctor’s prescription attitudes and might cause harm to human health by over-use/over-prescription of drugs, and prescription of higher doses of drugs than necessary. Also, prescription of drugs for a long period than necessary, prescription of a higher amount of drugs than necessary, and prescription of an irrational combination of drugs.

Although Dolo-650 is considered to be a safe drug, its over dosage can lead to severe liver damage. Besides, people having liver conditions, kidney diseases, and alcoholism are urged not to take this drug.