Drug Controllers ordered to withdraw Permission to Drug Brand, AZ

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on 7 February 2011 ordered state drug controllers to immediately withdraw permission to AZ brand from the market. The order was issued in the backdrop of numerous complaints that medicines with different ingredients are made available in the market under the same brand name. DCGI mentioned that the brand name “AZ” is marketed in India with different ingredients: like Cetirizine is prescribed for allergies and cold, Albendazole for DE-worming in intestines, Azithromycin is an antibiotic and Alprazolam is prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. While a doctor in Delhi may be using the brand name AZ for a drug for cold, in another state a doctor may be referring AZ to a drug for anxiety. As a result the problem becomes all the more acute for patients who are travelling. All these drugs are prescribed for different purposes, however since their brand name is same it may be causing a lot of confusion and patients may end up consuming a drug not applicable to their disease.