New health warnings for cigarette packages and advertisements proposed by US FDA

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule to require new health warnings on cigarette packages and in advertisements to promote greater public understanding of the negative health consequences of smoking. The proposed warnings, whichfeature photo-realistic color images depicting some of the lesser-known, but serious health risks of cigarette smoking,stand to represent the most significant change to cigarette labels in more than 35 years.

Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. said, “With these new proposed cigarette health warnings, we have an enormous public health opportunity to fulfill our statutory mandate and increase the public’s understanding of the full scope of serious negative health consequences of cigarette smoking. Given that tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., there’s a lot at stake to ensure the public understands these risks. We remain committed to educating the public, especially America’s youth, about the dangers associated with using cigarettes and other tobacco products.”

Mera Bharat Mahan 3

A person has pure consciousness state at birth and at death

A person has pure consciousness state at birth and at death. Even the law says that children and a dying person do not speak a lie and that is because their state of mind is pure consciousness.

Also, those who believe in rebirth, the human soul takes three births. From the Upanishad point of view: firstly as semen, then at birth and lastly at death.

The three phases

1.The semen is the vigour. The man holds this essence of his Self in his own body. When he pours the semen into a woman, he procreates himself. This, indeed, is the first birth of the embodied soul. ....read more

AAN-AHA updated pediatric migraine guidelines: Treat as soon as the child becomes aware of an impending migraine attack

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Headache Society (AHS) have published updated recommendations for preventing and treating migraine in children and adolescents

The guidelines focused on two areas: one, acute treatments to reduce pain and other symptoms that accompany the headache and secondly, treatments to prevent migraine attacks and reduce the associated morbidity. Some key .....read more

What are three great sentences of importance other than mahavakyas?

• Brahma Satyam Jagan Mithya Jivo Brahmaiva Na Aparah - Brahman only exists truly, the world is false, and the individual  soul is Brahman only and no other.
• Ekam evadvitiyam brahma - Brahman is one, without a second (There is one absolute reality, without any secondary parts).
• Sarvam khalvidam brahma - all of this is brahman.

Healthcare News Monitor

Delhi tops in generating plastic waste

ET Healthworld-Atul Thakur

In his Independence Day speech, PM Narendra Modi called for significant steps to make the country free from single-use plastic. According to a report of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as of July last year, 127 of the 192 countries reviewed have adopted some form of legislation to regulate plastic bags. These regulations include restrictions on manufacture, distribution, use, and trade of plastic bags, taxation and levies, and post-use disposal. The UNEP has said the regulations vary considerably in their comprehensiveness, but the most common form is the restriction on free retail distribution. A 2015 study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 60 major Indian cities estimated that these cities were generating around 4,059 tonnes of plastic waste daily. Extrapolating the data for the entire country, an answer to a question in Parliament estimated that the figure would be 25,940 tons a day. Delhi topped the list with 690 tonnes of daily plastic waste, followed by Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai.

NPPA fixes retail and ceiling prices of 13 formulations under DPCO 2013

Pharmabiz

The national drug pricing regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed retail prices of 10 formulations and ceiling prices of 3 formulations under Drugs Prices Control Order 2013 in related notification dated August 14, 2019. Name of the formulations are telmisartan + amlodipine + hydrochlorothiazide tablet, telmisartan + hydrochlorothiazide tablet, telmisartan + amlodipine tablet, metoprolol + ramipril tablet, rosuvastatin + clopidogrel capsule, amoxycillin + potassium clavulanate suspension, metformin + glimepiride tablet (Glyciphage – g 0.5mg), diclofenac + absolute alcohol spray, amphotericin b (Lipid), amphotericin b (Liposomal), silver sulphadiazine etc. All the existing pharma manufacturers of above mentioned scheduled formulations having MRP lower than the ceiling price as specified plus goods and services tax as applicable, if any, shall continue to maintain the existing MRP in accordance with paragraph 13 (2) of the DPCO 2013. The manufacturers may add goods and services tax only if they have paid actually or if it is payable to the Government on the ceiling price as mentioned. The ceiling price for a pack of the scheduled formulation shall be arrived at by the concerned manufacturer in accordance with the ceiling price specified as per provisions contained in paragraph 11 of the DPCO 2013. The manufacturer shall issue a price list in Form–V from date of notification as per paragraph 24 of the DPCO 2013 to National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority through IPDMS and should submit a copy to state drug controllers and dealers.

Make in India plan in works to attract medical device companies

ET Bureau - Yogima Seth Sharma & Prachi Verma|

New Delhi: The government is stitching up a plan to lure the medical devices industry to Make in India, along the lines of telecom and electronics, seeking to cut reliance on imports and lower costs. Niti Aayog, the government’s think tank, has started work on the plan, which comes as the US spars with India over price curbs imposed on medical devices to make them affordable. “The Aayog will soon come out with a roadmap to promote development of medical devices under the Make in India initiative,” a senior government official told ET. The mega plan is to eventually make India a manufacturing hub for medical devices of international standards that caters to the domestic and overseas markets Initially, the products would be diagnostic devices to screen for cancer and heart diseases and later pacemakers, ventilators, dialysis machines and CT scanners, among others, would be added. The plan being considered for medical devices is similar to the incentive package that provides capital subsidy of up to 25% for the electronics industry and has helped boost local production of mobiles in the country. Niti Aayog member VK Saraswat chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to discuss issues holding up indigenous manufacturing of medical devices, said another person who was present at the discussions. The secretaries of all stakeholder ministries, including the ministry of health, attended the meeting.

Pharma wants a booster fund to push innovation

The EconomicTimes-Vishal Dutta, Vikas Dandekar

AHMEDABAD | MUMBAI: The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, a group of top research-based pharmaceutical companies, has urged policy think tank Niti Aayog and the Department of Pharmaceuticals to set up a large fund to boost technological innovation in pharma and healthcare startups. “We have approached the government to set up dedicated funds to boost innovation and startups in the pharma space in India,” said Sudarshan Jain, secretary-general, IPA. Last month, the IPA submitted its Vision 2030 document that highlights opportunities and challenges in the Indian pharma sector. The document seeks to promote innovation backed by risk capital to further boost pharma and health technology innovation in India. “IPA is advocating and advising the government to set up a startup VC fund to boost innovation in pharma,” said Pankaj Patel, CMD of Cadila Healthcare NSE -0.11 %, one of the top five pharma companies in India in terms of revenue. Patel, who is also former IPA president, said the sector has to innovate to grow faster. IPA has also asked the government to boost its investment share in private sector R&D to 35% from 25%. This could be done by allocating more funds to R&D projects in life sciences and startups, it said.

People need to trust their doctor first

The Hans India

Now-a-days Google assistance and social media is widely used by people to find, collect or collate information on the subjects of their choice. But, this eagerness to hook onto online media to know everything is increasingly creating problems for doctors, when the patients try to pose as they know about their ailments and pose needless – and sometimes endless – questions on the choice of treatment arrived at by their doctor. "Half knowledge can be not only irritating but also dangerous," avers Dr Sanareddy Rajesh Reddy who is Brain, Spine & Endovascular Neurosurgeon and currently associated with Apollo Institute of Neurosciences, Hyderabad. Technology helps us in many aspects, but people need to think whether it is really needed before seeing a doctor. "Some patients even come up with the kind of treatments they need, even without consulting a doctor. I was surprisingly asked – why you need to start this treatment. When I wondered how they came up with this poser, I got very a funny answer that they Googled it," says Dr Rajesh Reddy. Cautioning people not to equip themselves with all information that they claim to be in need of, especially in medical matters, advises the doctor. But, this is what happens around us often.