Put down those pills! Here's why you should stop self-medicating and start consulting a doctor

The hunt for a new cough syrup begins. Instead of going to the neighbourhood medical shop for a bottle of Corex, this time you will have to visit a doctor to get medicines for that annoying cold. The Health Ministry recently banned about 344 fixed dose combination drugs, including cough syrups compositions. The ban includes common household and over-the counter medicines like D'cold Total, Saridon, Vicks Action 500 Extra.

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An Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) is a combination of two or more drugs in fixed proportion. Among the 344 banned FDC are codeine based cough syrups, anti-diabetic drug metformin combinations, anti-inflammatory nimesulide and diclofenac, according to a report in The Mint.

The report further explains that these FDCs have become popular in India due to better efficacy and compliance, reduced cost and easy distribution. In fact, this ban is not the first. In 2007, withdrawal of 294 combinations were ordered as they were being sold without the government approval. Reports suggest that nearly half the drugs sold in India in 2014 were combination drugs.

Health experts and doctors have warned that the increased use of antibiotic combinations may have cause antibiotic resistance, as per The Hindustan Times report. Side-effects of these FDCs largely go unreported since these medicines are over-the-counter and patients don't consult a doctor before taking any of the drugs.

Health experts believe that the side-effects of some of the combinations could carry risks as the "effects are different from those of its individual components," according to a report in The Indian Express. The report further explained that it becomes dangerous when an adverse reaction affects a patient and the doctors are unable to pin it on the particular ingredient responsible for the reaction.

Following the government ban, pharmaceutical major Pfizer has discontinued manufacture and sale of Corex with immediate effect. The pharmaceutical industry has not taken the ban well. The Economic Times reported that lobby groups of pharmaceutical companies are fighting the ban and get the Health Ministry revoke it. Some of the pharma companies got a stay on the ban of their brands.

However, this is only the beginning. According to media reports, there are more bans on the way.