New Delhi As per the plan of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, ophthalmic lubricants or artificial tears will be available for people to buy over the counter without a doctor’s prescription.
The proposal was placed before a group of experts in the recent Drug Technical Advisory Board meeting.
Artificial tears refer to a wide range of lubricant eye products that are often used to relieve dryness and irritation in the eyes.
A large part of the global population suffers from dry eye syndrome and eye allergies.
“The Board discussed the proposal to convert the Compound Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Eye Drops IP 0.5% in the category of Refresh Tears from prescription drug to non-prescription drug, i.e. “Rx to Over-the-Counter (Non-Prescription). Pharma Products is a sterile ophthalmic solution and has been in the market since 1998. It is used for temporary relief of irritation, burning, and discomfort caused by dry eyes or exposure to wind or sunlight, and may be used as a preservative. Against further irritation,” said an official aware of the matter.
“After detailed deliberations, the Board agreed to remove the requirement of a prescription from the Registered Medical Practitioner in respect of the product.
To be sure, people have been buying eye lubricants off the shelf in the poorly controlled drug market in India for many years now.
Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) VG Somani declined to comment on the story despite multiple calls and text messages being sent.
According to the Pharma Industry report, the global artificial tears market is expected to reach $4.3 billion by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9%.
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