🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴From the desk of Dr KK Aggarwal National President, IMA Generic drugs prescription The current law situation is ““Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs” 1. Every physician means all of us 2. ‘Should” […]

What’s the difference between brand-name and generic prescription drugs? ADVERTISEMENT | REPORT AD Pharmacist Erik Mogalian and assistant professor Paul Myrdal of the University of Arizona’s College of Pharmacy explain. A brand-name drug product is originally discovered and developed by a pharmaceutical company. In order for the company to market and sell their product they […]

A compulsory license provides that the owner of a patent or copyright licenses the use of their rights against payment either set by law or determined through some form of adjudication or arbitration. In essence, under a compulsory license, an individual or company seeking to use another’s intellectual property can do so without seeking the […]

Legal scholars, economists, activists, policymakers, industries, and trade organizations have held differing views on patents and engaged in contentious debates on the subject. Critical perspectives emerged in the nineteenth century that were especially based on the principles of free trade.[1]:262–263 Contemporary criticisms have echoed those arguments, claiming that patents block innovation and waste resources that […]

Evergreening is any of various legal, business and technological strategies by which producers extend their patents over products that are about to expire, in order to retain royalties from them, by either taking out new patents (for example over associated delivery systems, or new pharmaceutical mixtures), or by buying out, or frustrating competitors, for longer […]

A biosimilar (also known as follow-on biologic or subsequent entry biologic) is a biologic medical product which is almost an identical copy of an original product that is manufactured by a different company.[1] Biosimilars are officially approved versions of original “innovator” products, and can be manufactured when the original product’s patent expires.[2] Reference to the […]

Government Patent Policy Act of 1980 Patent and Trademark System Reform Long title An Act to amend the patent and trademark laws. Nicknames Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act Enacted by the 96th United States Congress Effective December 12, 1980 Citations Public law 96-517 Statutes at Large 94 Stat. 3015 Codification Acts amended  Patent Act […]

ACTA Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement French: Accord commercial anti-contrefaçon Spanish: Acuerdo Comercial Anti-Falsificación {{{image_alt}}} Type Plurilateral agreement Drafted  15 November 2010 (final revision)[1] 15 April 2011 (formal publication)[2] Signed 1 October 2011 Location Tokyo, Japan Effective Not in force Condition Ratification by six states Negotiators   Australia  Canada  European Union  Japan  Mexico  Morocco  New Zealand  Singapore  South […]

In some countries, such as Brazil (photo) and France, more than 20% of all drug sales are generic. A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that is equivalent to a brand-name product in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, performance, and intended use.[1] The term may also refer to any drug marketed under its chemical […]

A counterfeit medication or a counterfeit drug is a medication or pharmaceutical product which is produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its origin, authenticity or effectiveness. A counterfeit drug may contain inappropriate quantities of active ingredients, or none, may be improperly processed within the body (e.g., absorption by the body), may contain […]

The problem is compounded by the fact that there are very few branded medicines in india , the rest can be called branded generics .Also there are numerous compounds for which there are no so called branded generics. Branded molecules are those which are patented, branded generic being brands made after expiry of patent and […]

(C) Dr. Rajas Deshpande “Doctor, I have started to die. Can you help me somehow?” he asked, calmly. In his late twenties, a handsome young man, well dressed, but with a certain painful gloom upon his face that was a mismatch to an overall nice and clean appearance. What could this be? I started thinking, […]

We know that headaches are common in the general population, but they are particularly common among patients with psychiatric problems. According to one review, (Pompili M et al., J Headache Pain 2009; 10(4):283-290) patients with depression have a 46% lifetime prevalence of migraine, while bipolar patients have a 51% prevalence. Patients with migraines have triple […]

After GBM I realised.. everyone is unhappy..  Physicians are unhappy about Surgeons treating DM, HT, thyroid diseses themselves .. Surgeons are unhappy about Physicians developing Medical ICUs and treating surgical diseases.. Gynacs are as such frustrated with PCPNDT and cutthroat competition, surgeons doing hysterectomies.. Opthalmologists are frustrated with optimetrists and Free NGO cataract camps… Radiologists […]

Pharmaceuticals By Durgesh N. Jha, TNN | Updated: Apr 19, 2017, 09.13 AM IST Ironically , India is one of the world’s largest exporters of generic drugs. If you think doctors prefer to prescribe expensive drugs when cheaper options are available, you are only partly right. A study in Indian Journal of Pharmacology found that […]

Doctors fearing the threat of prosecution are avoiding high-risk procedures and patients who could be denied life-saving treatment as a result, a survey suggests. The poll, carried out for Doctors and Manslaughter, found 86% of UK physicians who responded said that they had adopted “a more defensive style”. Defensive medicine is where doctors recommend a […]

The website of Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in New Delhi clearly says that this organisation has no role in testing the Drugs and Drug Manufacturing in India. The zonal labs under its control only test drugs submitted. This is the finished product. They do not verify manufacturing process. In all pharmaceutical manufacturing, the […]

Press Note 18.4.17Dr. Vitull K. Gupta, Chairman, Association of Physicians of India (Malwa Branch) has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion of a legal framework under which doctors will have to prescribe generic medicines stating that generic medicines are cheaper than equivalent branded drugs projecting doctors as demons putting the entire blame on doctors. Dr. […]

Doctor bashing both physically and metaphorically seems to be a favourite pastime. Patients and relatives assaulting doctors are becoming frequent if the outcome is not what they expected. Politicians (read Namo) also speaks disparaging about doctors, casting aspersions on their integrity saying they are looting and overcharging patients, writing branded drugs. Every body wants the […]

HIGHLIGHTS The PM outlined a series of measures planned by the health ministry in line to regulate cost of medical care in the country The health ministry has recently issued a draft gazette notification making it mandatory for pharma companies to carry generic name of drugs on packs NEW DELHI: In a major step to […]

Just before we left Gurgaon for Chennai, Krishnan had a severe stomach infection. Whatever he would eat, he would throw up and he was in really bad pain. When we consulted our GP Dr. Nehal Vora, she prescribed some medicines and then when the situation didn’t get better, she asked us to get an ultrasound […]

By Emmanuel Stamatakis  Source: The Conversation 17 FEB 2017 – 7:12 AM UPDATED 17 FEB 2017 – 7:12 AM Emmanuel Stamatakis, University of Sydney Sitting has been branded the “new smoking” for its supposed public health risks, especially for people with sit-down office jobs. Over the past 15 years or so sitting has been linked […]

Press Trust of India | Kolkata Apr 16, 2017 02:57 PM IST The Indian Medical Association has decided to move court for questioning the “validity” of the Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Act, 2017 introduced by the West Bengal government.  The IMA will also protest “politically” and observe “National IMA Black Day” on April […]

Most doctors don’t like patients who search for information on the internet. Their experience has been that because there is so much unreliable information on the internet, these patients get lost and confused, and are always trying to second-guess their doctor’s advice. This is why they tell them to stay away from doctor Google, and […]

Psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia do not appear all of a sudden. There are small changes that happen to an individual over a long period of time until the disease fully develops. These signs and symptoms might be too subtle in the early stage for other people to notice until they become obvious. […]

/jaruneu/ December 9, The scene opens with an unsuspecting woman taking a shower. Through the shower curtain, we see a figure approach her. As violins screech in the background, he throws the shower curtain aside and repeatedly stabs her in the back, leaving her for dead. We later learn that the killer, Norman Bates, has […]

FEBRUARY 27, 2017 The Checkup By PERRI KLASS, M.D. The neonatal intensive care unit is a place full of tiny, vulnerable and critically ill infants; fearful and anxious parents; and busy doctors and nurses working to save lives. But if a parent of a sick baby says something rude to the medical staff, the quality […]

The Checkup By PERRI KLASS, M.D. Just how much rudeness is there in the hospital, and who bears the brunt of it? A few weeks ago I wrote about a study that looked at what happens to medical teams when parents are rude to doctors. In these studies of simulated patient emergencies, doctors and nurses […]

Dopamine (DA, contracted from 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families that plays several important roles in the brain and body. It is an amine synthesized by removing a carboxyl group from a molecule of its precursor chemical L-DOPA, which is synthesized in the brain and kidneys. Dopamine is also synthesized […]

Effects of cholecystokinin on the gastrointestinal tract. Cholecystokinin is secreted by I-cells in the small intestine and induces contraction of the gall bladder, relaxes the sphincter of Oddi, reduces of gastric acid secretion, increases bile acid production in the liver, delays gastric emptying, and induces digestive enzyme production in the pancreas. Cholecystokinin (CCK or CCK-PZ; […]

Group of physiologically active lipid compounds E1 – Alprostadil I2 – Prostacyclin The prostaglandins (PG) are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds having diverse hormone-like effects in animals. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every tissue in humans and other animals. They are derived enzymatically from fatty acids. Every prostaglandin contains 20 carbon atoms, […]

EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY      The opioid system controls pain, reward and addictive behaviors. Opioids exert their pharmacological actions through three opioid receptors, mu, delta and kappa whose genes have been cloned (Oprm, Oprd1 and Oprk1, respectively). Opioid receptors in the brain are activated by a family of endogenous peptides like enkephalins, dynorphins and […]

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a group of endogenous cannabinoid receptors located in the mammalian brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, consisting of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors. Known as “the body’s own cannabinoid system”,[1] the ECS is involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory, and […]

Interview: A depression survivor talks about her guide to living with the diseaseShubhrata Prakash, an Indian Revenue Services officer, has written a book ‘The D Word: A Survivor’s Guide To Depression’. The Health Collective Published Apr 07, 2017.   Interview: A depression survivor talks about her guide to living with the disease Diagnosed with depression […]

It’s official. Practitioners of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) appointed in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in rural areas of Karnataka can practice allopathy “during emergencies”. A Government Order to this effect was issued on Thursday. With this, Karnataka has joined the list of 13 States, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, […]

Scientists are getting close to proving what yogis have held to be true for centuries — yoga and meditation can ward off stress and disease. John Denninger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, is leading a five-year study on how the ancient practices affect genes and brain activity in the chronically stressed. His latest work […]

Harish Shetty  Image result for deepika padukone pictures Nothing is wrong with you ! This is devastating for a patient. Just because all the physical tests are normal would not mean that everything is ok. M.R.I scans do not detect depression. Physiological changes in the brain is not detected by the scans and blood tests.Moods […]

Supreme Court held that an error of judgement is not amount to Criminal Negligence. Huge relief for doctors as Supreme Court quashed criminal case registered against doctor on the allegations of negligence. Summarty In a very recent judgement pronounced by Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on 6 April 2014 in Criminal Appeal No. 636 of […]

Published: February 2014 Picture of the human brain, top view Secrets of the Brain New technologies are shedding light on biology’s greatest unsolved mystery: By Carl Zimmer Photograph by Robert Clark Van Wedeen strokes his half-gray beard and leans toward his computer screen, scrolling through a cascade of files. We’re sitting in a windowless library, […]

———————– रोज रोज मीडिया की दुत्कार ,कि डॉक्टर पेशेवर हो गये हैं! सरकार द्वारा डॉक्टर्स पर लगाम लगाने के सतत प्रयासों और नये नये कानूनों के कारण ,मेरा भी ह्रदय परिवर्तन हुआ और अपराध बोध से ग्रसित हो मेरे मन का विरेचन हुआ। मुझे हमारे पूर्वज चिकित्सकों ,चरक ,धन्वन्तरी और सुश्रुत की याद आने लगी! […]

  by Benika Pinch figures by Kaitlyn Choi If you watched the Rio Olympics, you probably noticed that several athletes, including swimmer Michael Phelps, were covered in bizarre circular marks. These bruises were caused by cupping, a therapy that uses suction to pull skin upwards into a circular cup, with the intent of increasing blood […]

Sabine Vits, Elvir Cesko, […], and Manfred Schedlowski Additional article information ABSTRACT Current placebo research postulates that conditioning processes are one of the major mechanisms of the placebo response. Behaviourally conditioned changes in peripheral immune functions have been demonstrated in experimental animals, healthy subjects and patients. The physiological mechanisms responsible for this ‘learned immune response’ […]

The nocebo effect is when a negative expectation of a phenomenon causes it to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would. A nocebo effect causes the perception that the phenomenon will have a negative outcome to actively influence the result.[1][2] Mental states such as beliefs, expectations and anticipation can strongly influence the outcome […]

Faith healing is based on belief and is about as far as you can get from science-based medicine, but it is not exempt from science. If it really worked, science would be able to document its cures and would be the only reliable way to validate its effectiveness. Miraculous cures continue to be reported on […]

PlacebonexWe frequently write about placebo effects here on Science-Based Medicine. The reason is simple. They are an important topic in medicine and, at least as importantly, understanding placebo effects is critical to understanding the exaggerated claims of advocates of “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM), now more frequently called “integrative medicine” (i.e., integrating pseudoscience with science). […]

ANDREW MARTINEZ | B. 1972The Naked Guy By JASON ZENGERLE Andrew Martinez wanted to be called the Militant Nudist, but the nickname never stuck. He was simply too gentle, too agreeable for it. In the summer of 1990, when he was 17 and had fallen under the nonconformist spell of Henry David Thoreau, Martinez took […]

It is a very disturbing news that a dynamic, intelligent son of a poor family has left for the unknown journey because of a negligent doctor. Where has all the humanity gone, why are they just filling their pockets and not doing their task efficiently when they are so well paid? REPORTED AS RECEIVED: He […]

Living with a person who eavesdrops, feels rejected for no reason, seeks endless reassurance (but is never reassured), thinks others are looking askance, sneaks into private communications, and makes false accusations takes a toll. While many of us may feel suspicious, rejected, excluded or hypersensitive from time to time, chronic paranoia in a functioning person […]

The long awaited Goods and Services tax (GST) Bill has been passed by both houses of India. There will be significant improvement in Indian Pharmaceutical industry’s supply chain efficiency as well as a decline in manufacturing cost of Pharmaceutical products.               Goods and Services tax (GST) Impact on Pharmaceutical […]

G. B. ~~~~~~~~~~ Response: Dear G. B.: Let’s begin with some basics. My response to your question has four parts… Words of caution. A Narcissist’s Characteristics. How To Talk To A Narcissist. How To Get What You Want From A Narcissist. ~~~~~~~~~~ Words of caution. Before proceeding with details about how to interact with a […]