Jaslok stops use of Ranbaxy drugs

Following a circular by Jaslok Hospital,doctors at the premier private hospital in south Mumbai have stopped prescribing Ranbaxy Laboratories products. However,other major hospitals in the city are not following suit and are waiting for a decision from the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration FDA.

The development comes a fortnight after Ranbaxy USA Inc,a subsidiary of the Indian generic drug manufacturer,pleaded guilty before the United States Department of Justice to felony charges relating to the manufacture and distribution of certain adulterated drugs made at two of the companys units in India. Ranbaxy has agreed to pay a criminal fine and forfeiture totaling 150 million and to settle civil claims under the False Claims Act and related state laws for 350 million.

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We have stopped issuing all Ranbaxy products with immediate effect. The existing stocks are also in the process of being given back to the company. Kindly refrain from prescribing any Ranbaxy product as local purchase too shall not be done till further orders, reads the advisory issued to the hospitals doctors and in-house drug store. The Indian Express has a copy of this advisory.

For now,other major hospitals such as Breach Candy,Lilavati and P D Hinduja have said they are going by the state FDAs stance on the matter.