Govt bans production and distribution of 103 types of antibiotics [With List]

KATHMANDU: The government has halted the production and distribution of 103 medicines listed as ‘not recommended’ by the World Health Organization in 2021.

The Department of Drugs Administration under the Ministry of Health and Population issued a public notice on Sunday. According to the department, it won’t register these medicines, and issue licenses for their sales and distribution.

According to WHO, the AWaRe Classification of antibiotics was developed in 2017 by the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines as a tool to support antibiotic stewardship efforts at local, national, and global levels. “Antibiotics are classified into three groups, Access, Watch and Reserve, taking into account the impact of different antibiotics and antibiotic classes on antimicrobial resistance, to emphasize the importance of their appropriate use. The 2021 update of the AWaRe classification includes an additional 78 antibiotics not previously classified, bringing the total to 258,” it added.

Likewise, it has given drug stores six months to remove these drugs from their shelves.