New Delhi: A non-governmental organization (NGO) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has asked doctors to prescribe Dolo 650 mg for the treatment of fever by a well-known pharma company, which makes Dolo tablets. He has been accused of distributing free gifts worth Rs 1000 crore. The court termed the allegation a “serious issue”.
Appearing for the petitioner ‘Federation of Medical and Sales Representative Association of India’, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh and advocate Aparna Bhat, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice A. s. Bopanna that the market price of any tablet up to 500 mg is controlled under the government’s price control mechanism.
But the price of the drug above 500 mg can be decided by the manufacturer pharma company, he said. He argued that in order to ensure higher profit margins, the company has distributed free gifts among doctors for prescribing Dolo-650mg tablets. Justice Chandrachud said, “What you are saying sounds pleasant. This is the medicine that I took when I had covid. This is a serious issue and we will look into it.”
The bench asked Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj to file his reply on the petition in ten days and thereafter gave Parikh a week’s time to file his reply.
The court has fixed September 29 for the next hearing of the case. Meanwhile, a lawyer sought the court’s permission to file an intervention petition on behalf of the pharma companies, which was granted by the court. The bench said that it would also like to hear the side of pharma companies on this issue.
What does the Dolo-650 tablet do and when did it come into play?
Dolo tablet is actually a salt of Paracetamol. This medicine is given to patients with pain and fever. Although there are many competitors in the market. Like- Crocin and Kalpol. These drugs also work the same way that Dolo does. Most of it was sold when people were battling fever during the Corona period. Through mouth publicity and the advice of doctors, it got on the tongue of the people.
It is made by Bangalore-based pharmaceutical company Micro Labs Limited. This company was started in 1973, but due to an increase in the demand for medicine in the country, the company set up another plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Gradually it became a leading company in the field of pharma. This drug came into play from the early stages. In 2010, the Dolo brand also received the Best Managed Brand Award.
Why did it become popular among the common people, now understand it
Actually, from the beginning, big brands were selling Paracetamol for 500 mg, but Micro Labs Limited sold it for 650 mg. It was promoted in such a way that takes this tablet when the cause of fever is not known. This gave it popularity. At the same time, doctors say, the side effects of this medicine are very less. This medicine is easily available at medical stores.
