Drug prices set to fall by up to 80%

Mumbai: The government on Thursday issued the long-pending Drug Price Control Order, paving the way for the implementation of national pharmaceutical pricing policy, which will lead to a reduction in prices of medicines on an average by 20-25%, and in some lifesaving ones, by up to 80%.
   Prices of 652 formulations under 27 therapeutic areas like anti-allergic (cetrizine), cardiac (aten), gastro-intestinal medicines (ocid), pain-killers (paracetamol) and anti-diabetic drugs (insulin) are expected to come down. Others in the list include anti-fungal, anti-tuberculosis, anti-leprosy, anti-hypertensives and cancer drugs. In certain cancer drugs, prices may come down by up to 80%.
   The policy though cleared by the Cabinet on November 22 last year, was delayed due to the absence of the DPCO. The DPCO 2013—as reported by TOI first on May 16—will regulate prices of drug formulations on the basis of a market-based mechanism, as against a cost-based system which existed till now.
   The government on Thursday notified DPCO with effect from May 15, replacing the 1995 order. The new order will empower the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy 2012 to regulate prices of 348 essential drugs, while the existing policy controls only 74 bulk drugs.
   Over the next few weeks, drug pricing regulator National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority is expected to announce in tranches the ceiling prices of 652 formulations, which will serve as the benchmark for companies. The industry will be given 45 days to clear the existing stock, and make the relevant changes in their prices.
   The DPCO, issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, will lay the framework of the drug policy, mechanism of regulating prices and list the 652 commonly-used drug formulations which are being brought under price control. Significantly, imported drugs will also be brought under price control. The policy uses a market-based pricing method: 'the simple average method' for determining the ceiling price of all the molecules (drugs) under a particular therapeutic area with over 1% market share. The price to the consumer will be determined by adding 16% margin (to the retailer) as well as the local taxes to the average price (ceiling price).
   Addressing the concern of public health NGOs, the DPCO clarifies that companies will not be able to increase prices, in case the ceiling price fixed by the government, is higher than their price. In cases, where existing manufactures, selling the formulations at a price higher than the ceiling price, will have to revise the prices downward.
   Prices of formulations will be frozen for a year, and will be revised in line as per the annual wholesale price index, in April every year.

NEW POLICY KICKS IN

Employees who spend half of an eight-hour working day standing use 13% more energy than colleagues who are seated, says a new study. Researcher David Dunstan measured the energy expenditure of 20 desk-based workers over two weeks while standing and sitting at work. During an average fiveday working week, the extra energy used standing for four hours a day equated to a 45-minute brisk walk.
   Much of the extra energy use came from the contraction of muscles used to keep the body upright. Recent research found people who spend most of their days sitting — at work, on the bus or train and while watching TV — may not ward off heart disease, even if they exercise for 30 minutes a day as recommended. Workers who don't have heightadjustable workstations should take a break, stand up and move every 20 to 30 minutes.
   ANI

Upbeat music can lift mood

 

Washington: Listening to upbeat, cheery music can indeed make people happier, scientists say. Researchers from the University of Missouri discovered that an individual can successfully try to be happier, especially when cheery music aids the process.
   "Our work provides support for what many people already do — listen to music to improve their moods," said lead author Yuna Ferguson, who performed the study while she was an MU doctoral student in psychological science. "Although pursuing personal happiness may be thought of as a self-centred venture, research suggests that happiness relates to a higher probability of socially beneficial behaviour, better physical health, higher income and greater relationship satisfaction," she said.
   In two studies, participants successfully improved their moods in the short term and boosted their overall happiness over a two-week period. During the first study, participants improved their mood after being instructed to attempt to do so, but only if they listened to the upbeat music of Copland, as opposed to the more somber Stravinsky. Other participants, who simply listened to the music without attempting to change their mood, also didn't report a change in happiness. In the second study, participants reported higher levels of happiness after two weeks of lab sessions in which they listened to positive music while trying to feel happier.
   However, Ferguson noted that for people to put her research into practice, they must be wary of too much introspection into their mood or constantly asking, "Am I happy yet?" PTI

CHEERFUL TUNE

Blood test to tell if you’re allergic to hip implants

 

London: A simple blood test will now reveal whether you are allergic to metals before you undergo an implant surgery. A Mysore Medical College alumni Vijaya Knight is part of a team that has discovered blood tests to access whether you are allergic to nickel. Researchers are also working on developing blood tests to other allergens, like cobalt and bone cement that make up most of the implants.
   The number of Indians undergoing a knee or a hip replacement is rocketing in India. By 2030, more than 11,000 people a day are expected to have implant surgeries in US alone, an increase of 174% for hip replacements and nearly 700% for knees.
   Karin Pacheco, an allergist at National Jewish Health in Denver said "serious allergies due to implants is a problem that is sure to get worse in the coming years".

ONIONS! I had never heard this!!!

Wow- very interesting....Everyone should read :)


... In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu...
Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.

Walnuts cut cardiovascular disease risk

Consumption of whole walnuts or their extracted oil can reduce cardiovascular risk, researchers have claimed. In addition, consumption of whole walnuts helped HDL — good cholesterol — perform more effectively in transporting and removing excess cholesterol from the body. "Our study showed that the oil found in walnuts can maintain blood vessel function after a meal, which is very important given that blood vessel integrity is often compromised in individuals with cardiovascular disease," Claire Berryman, graduate student in nutritional sciences, Penn State said. According to the researchers, walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, gamma-tocopherol and phytosterols, which may explain the positive effects of the walnut oil treatment. 
   

Eat more walnuts

Cheat the heat

If gulping down litres of water is not helping you cope with summer, take this quiz to find out where you are going wrong

    With temperatures soaring to 34 °C and humidity making matters worse, most Mumbaikars are coping either by holing up in air-conditioned rooms or guzzling four litres of water a day. Doctors say the human body is slow in adapting to weather changes, and thus cases of viral fever and throat infections increase during this period. 

    So you already know that to come out on top of the year's hottest phase, you must keep yourself hydrated, eat lighter meals, wear white, light cotton clothes and avoid the noon sun. But do you know enough to be summer-smart? Instead of pulling your sweat-drenched hair in frustration, take this quiz and step out in the sun a little wiser. QUIZ 1 A cold beverage cools your body 
faster than a cup of hot tea. A) True B) False 2 Heat exhaustion and sun stroke are the same. 
A) True B) False 3 By reapplying sunscreen a few times, you can stay outdoors for longer. A) True B) False 4 Throwing open a window in the house is enough to cool the whole place down. A) True B) False 5 Hair that becomes dry and unmanageable due to heat, should be washed every day. A) True B) False ANSWERS 1 B When you drink a hot beverage, you add heat to the body which increases your sweat rate and cools you faster. As the sweat has to evaporate for you to feel cooler, it's ideal if you are wearing light clothing and the atmosphere isn't humid (sweat can't evaporate into saturated air). That said, avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol as they are diuretics, and cause water loss. 2 B Heat cramps are the first signs of your body begging for water. Next is heat exhaustion, which is marked by paleness, heavy sweating, fatigue, headache and nausea. This is essentially your body signalling that it is overheated. If ignored, heat stroke follows. Also called sunstroke, this is a dangerous stage when the body can't control its temperature by its natural cooling mechanisms. Apart from the body temperature shooting to as high as 106 °F, other signs of sunstroke are dry skin (no sweating) and loss of consciousness. Without medical attention, this condition can be fatal. 3 A By reapplying sunscreen before the effect of the first layer wears out, you can extend its protection from the UV rays for longer. While the higher your sunscreen's Sun Protection Factor (SPF) the better — 30 being the minimum recommended SPF — reapplying it once in three hours while out is more critical than your lotion's SPF count. A broad spectrum sunscreen is your best bet. 4 B Instead of getting frustrated by sitting near a windless window, make use of the humble cross-ventilation method. A simple method is to place a fan, facing outside, by an open window. This will pull out the room's hot air. At the same time, opening another window in another part of the house will send fresh air in. Better still, hang damp towels by the window so the air rushing in gets a touch of chill. 5 BAvoid regular shampooing of hair during summer as it interferes with the hair's absorption of natural oils, which act as moisturisers. Use pH-balanced, mild or conditioning shampoos for best results. Also, avoid getting chemical treatments for hair like bleaching and straightening 
    during this season.

HEALTHY LIVING

TODAY, MANY PEOPLE ARE HEADING TOWARDS FITNESS AND SPA CENTERS TO LIVE A BETTER AND HEALTHY LIFE

    It is said that a healthy mind is the key to a successful future. But considering the modern lifestyle, which has made our lives easier; it is also believed to be the main cause for many diseases. It is often argued that the modern lifestyle, which is a sedentary coupled with wrong food habits and stress, has made us prone to diseases. 
    However, the good news is that people mow-a-days are aware of these ailments, hence are taking precautions at early stages. "Modern lifestyle is no longer a cause for worry because we are equipped with the knowledge of how to avoid these ailments," says 50 year-old Dina Shah. Gymming, dancing and power yoga are some of the means that many people adopt today to tackle the evils of modern health problems. Going by the number of health clubs and spas that have mushroomed in the area, one certainly gets the feeling that they have devised a perfect formula to keep people in the pink of health. "Dance is the fun way to keep oneself fit. We have students of all age-groups from school students to senior citizens, who are interested in learning dance. And at the same time, it is a good way to keep oneself fit," says Elizebeth P, a dance teacher. 
    Fitness, in today's scenario, is not about bulging biceps or rippling muscles. It is viewed as an attempt to stay healthy by all age groups. Therefore, it is not surprising to see senior citizens practicing yoga, or going for their morning walks in parks. Laughter is also considered as the best medicine that explains the emergence of several laughter clubs, including some exclusive clubs for ladies. 
    Gyms are also the most trusted places as far as physical fitness is concerned. And today, to attract more customers, many gymnasiums offer free diet consultation, massage therapies, cardio zone and health monitoring centers — providing the ultimate luxury in fitness to their customers. Spa treatment is another interesting option that people now-a-days opt to have a stress-free life. Gone are the days, when a massage meant a rub from your malishwalas, now even the ayurvedic spa in many areas have repackaged the Indian massage techniques into an exotic experience and luxury therapy. "Ayuvedic massages were earlier done on hard wooden beds, but now we have more comfortable settings, with enough cushioning to support the urban bodies. Likewise, the smelly oils and herbs are replaced by fragrant ones. These oils are specially developed so that the original ingredients are retained," says Anu Menon, who offers spa treatment based on ayurveda. 
    Spa and salon treatment are no longer restricted to the upper-income bracket, even the middle-income group make a visit to these places. Relaxation really counts as stress is identified as the single major cause for many diseases, including the heart ailments. The quest for better health has now prompted the residents to explore new ways to remain healthy in both — body and mind.

Playing video games can delay mental decay

Older people who play video games challenging their mental processing speed could delay the ageing of their minds, a new study has found. According to the researchers, elderly people who played just 10 hours of a game priming their mental processing speed and skills, delayed declines by as many as seven years in a range of cognitive skills. "We know that we can stop this decline and actually restore cognitive processing speed to people," Fredric Wolinsky, professor in the UI College of Public Health and lead author on the paper said.      "So, if we know that, shouldn't we be helping people? It's fairly easy, andolder folks can go get the training game and play it," he said. The study comes amid a burst of research examining why, as we age, our minds gradually lose 'executive function', generally considered mission control for critical mental activities, such as memory, attention, perception and problem solving. ANI

WATCH OUT FOR WHEATGRASS Here’s why you should include this superfood regularly in your diet

There's no need to frown at the thought of drinking wheatgrass juice. It is, after all, one of the potent sources of living chlorophyll and health experts swear by its benefits. Botanically, the plant is known as Triticum Aestivum. Wheat grass is said to contain 98 of 102 earth elements and here are some of the benefits of this plant:  PROTEIN-RICH: Wheatgrass contains about 19 amino acids, making it a protein-rich food.  ANTISEPTIC PROPERTIES: Its antiseptic properties make it ideal for healing bruises, rashes, insect bites, sores, etc. It also acts as a soothing agent for sunburnt skin.  GOOD FOR DENTAL PROBLEMS: Improve your dental health by massaging your gums with wheatgrass powder. It will heal gum problems.  INCREASES RED BLOOD CELLS: Consume wheatgrass regularly, to increase the red blood cell count. In fact, blood-building takes place faster when one consumes natural dark green juices, including wheatgrass.  GREAT FOR HAIR:  Mix some wheatgrass powder along with normal shampoo, to repair damaged hair. Rinsing the scalp with the powder is another remedy for dandruff. Also, you can get rid of greying hair by regularly consuming the plant juice.  RICH IN VITAMIN C: Wheatgrass contains greater amounts of Vitamin C than oranges and twice the amount of Vitamin A content than carrots which is good for the eyes.  ANT-AGEING PROPERTIES: The presence of natural anti-ageing properties aids in rejuvenating cells, thereby slowing the ageing process. It maintains skin elasticity by tackling the problem of sagging skin. Prepare a paste of wheatgrass powder mixed with milk and apply on the face for 10-15 minutes. It will help get rid of acne and pimples.  WARDS OF RADIATION EFFECTS: Who would have thought that having wheatgrass could ward off the effects of radiation? An enzyme called SOD, present in wheatgrass, reduces the effects of radiation and might prevent cellular damage due to its antiinflammatory compounds.  BOOSTS HAEMOGLOBIN PRODUCTION: Breathing acidic gases and polluted air harms the lungs. This damage can be repaired with the chlorophyll present in wheatgrass. It increases the production of haemoglobin in the blood.  RESTORES ALKALINITY IN THE BLOOD: Drinking wheatgrass juice reduces acidity levels in the body and restores alkalinity in the blood. This helps reduce problems like diarrhoea, constipation, ulcers, etc.  DETOXIFYING PROPERTIES: Wheatgrass contains powerful detoxifying properties. It improves cell strength, detoxifies the bloodstream and liver andoffers protection form carcinogens.  DID YOU KNOW?  A wheatgrass juice shot measuring 30ml is equal to one kg of leafy green vegetables, in nutritional value. A teaspoon of wheatgrass powder is nutritionally equal to a spinach salad weighing 50 gms Wheatgrass is great for your skin, hair, eyes and much more