Prof Guru Prasad Mohanta, Department of Pharmacy, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India shares the regular publication: Medicines Information Newsletter targeted at both health professionals and consumers. Commonly prescribed drugs are examined for effects and side effects and alternative drugs are recommended where necessary.
Volume 6 (2020) Issue 3. This issue provides dietary guidelines for pre-diabetics; guidelines for wearing masks; a small cameo about German Doctor Emil von Behring, known as father of serum therapy; drug alerts for montelukast, fluoroquinolone antibiotics, lorcaserin, ulipristal acetate; and COVID-19 update; together with a good list of resources and youtube links to Webinars conducted by the Department of Pharmacy.
Volume 6 (2020) Issue 2. In this issue focus on Covid 19 includes some good promotional graphics. There is an interesting cameo on Sir Ronald Ross – an Indian born medical doctor – who is credited with the discovery of malaria transmission. There is interesting news of the faculty’s activities and Alerts cover issues associated with use of clozapine, lamotrigine and nimesulide.
Volume 6 (2020) Issue 1. In this issue the editorial analyses the Government of India’s draft Regulation of Schedule K of Drugs and Cosmetic Rules on 6th November 2019. The pharmacists have been opposing just the recent proposed amendment of clause 23 which empowers the expanded health functionaries (other than pharmacists) to distribute medicines covered under various health programmes of the government. Read the Newsletter for the full explanation. This edition also covers protection against ‘flu’, current drug news and new drugs approved India and new resources. it also includes a gallery of pictures of the activities of the students and Faculty.
Volume 5 (2019) Issue 4 In this issue the “The National Medical Commission Act, 2019” which paves the way for replacing the Medical Council of India with the National Medical Commission is discussed in the editorial.The resurgence of vaccine preventable diseases like diphtheria and measles is noted. Conferences, important days and courses are all featured.
Focus includes new TB drugs and other new drugs, ban on colistin use in food producing animals and alerts concerning the use of statins, tofocitinib, and the link between faecal transplantation and multi drug resistant infection.
Volume 5 (2019) Issue 3 In this issue, the editorial covers the current measles outbreaks and the WHO structural overhaul. The issue includes courses, conferences and opportunities; recommendations for use of silver sulphadiazine cream; medicines to avoid (from Prescrire; important dates; alerts and resources and information about Nipah virus
Volume 5 (2019) Issue 2 In this issue The Editorial covers healthiest country rankings. Among other news items the issue includes scheduled conferences; New Resources: community based rehabilitation for disabled village children, Guidelines for palliative care in community services; Alerts: Oseltamivir, methotrexate, ceftriaxone, fluoroquinlones, isotretinoin.
Volume 5 (2019) Issue 1 In this issue, the Editorial considers the current Indian health policies 40 years after the Alma Ata Declaration of Primary Health Care. As always the journal shares information about conferences and courses. Drugs newly approved in India are listed. Alerts include valproic acid and divalproex with a high rick of birth defects; the need to avoid the use of opioid containing cough and cold medicines for children; the need for caution with the use of ‘probiotics’; dangers of loperamide use.
Volume 4 (2018) Issue 4. In this issue the Editorial covers the Indian Charter of Patients’ Rights – Government calls for suggestions and feedback; re-banning of 328 of the 344 previously banned FDCs – but the government says continue to use them until stocks finish. Also in this edition – online cholera response course; oxytocin available again in private pharmacies but import is prohibited; tafenoquine – new drug for malaria; and a drug to treat smallpox ! – tecovirimat (‘TPOXX’)
Volume 4 (2018) Issue 3. The editorial covers the importance of access to essential medicines in Universal Health Coverage. Available courses are covered along with a focus on Nipah virus infection with a report of the Kerala outbreak; Alerts – the role and precautions for the new Dengue vaccine; clarithromycin and lamotrigine precautions; news about the first artificial intelligence device, thiazides best for hypertension and the Mental Health Care act coming into effect from May 2018.
Volume 4 (2018) Issue 2. The editorial covers pharmaceutical company payments to contributors to Harrision’s Principles of Internal Medicines and confusion arising changed blood sugar levels targets in new guidelines. Available courses are covered in this edition along with current news items.
Volume 4 (2018) Issue 1 covers available courses; new anti TB drug – delamanid; ALERT section including proton pump inhibitor risks, insulin FDC precautions, sodium valproate precautions; healthy life-style hints for high blood pressure management; update on hypertension treatment; and more.
Volume 3 (2017) Issue 4 covers available courses, ALERT concerning the partial ban of Sodium Valproate in France for women an girls of reproductive age; use of codeine and tramadol in children and breast feeding women; and specific cautions with combined hormonal contraceptives and fluoroquinolones. Also – how to protect you and your family from Swine Flu, Pharmacists’ Day celebrations and plenty of information about medicines,
Volume 3 (2017) Issue 3 covers available courses; conferences; use of glucose metres and test strips, alerts: NSAIDs during pregnancy, pioglitazone, re-absorbable stents; treatment of head lice; Indian Treatment Guidelines for 10 infectious conditions.
Volume 3 (2017) Issue 2 covers diet for diabetes, medicines for asthma, links to the Cochrane library, warning about NSAIDs in pregnancy and more.
Volume 3 (2017) Issue 1 covers threat to Community Pharmacy from online pharmacy, statins for lipid lowering, dextromethorphan – do not use for children, other medicines to avoid, up-to-date resources.
Volume 2 (2016) Issue 4 is now available. It covers Medicines to Avoid, ‘Health Days’ – dates in December, Courses, Conferences, websites of interest, and has a focus on proton pump inhibitors.
Volume 2 (2016) Issue 3 (June) covers information about clopidogrel, drugs to avoid such as certain NSAIDs, alerts, conferences, training opportunities and more.
Volume 2 (2016) issue 2 covers Injectable Contraceptive, Zika Virus Disease, Fixed Dose Combinations Banned, Injectable Polio Vaccine in Routine Immunization, WHO Pocketbook for Hospital Care for Children, Medicines to Avoid, Probiotics in Antibiotic Associated Diarrhoea
Volume 2 (2016) Issue 1 covers safe childbirth, PRDUC Training Course, Important health Days, Current alerts and other current issues
Volume 1 (2015) Issue 4 focuses on antibiotics with the topics: Fluoroquinolone antibacterials, potential dangerous drug-drug interaction between macrolide antibiotics and calcium channel blockers, and regular features like websites of interest, courses, conferences, medicines to avoid and health days
Issue 1 is available online.
http://annamalaiuniversity.ac.in/download/newsletter/medi_info_newsletter_vol1_issue1.pdf
The second issue is available here and the third issue is available here