Meftal

• The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) issued an alert regarding the common painkiller, Meftal, and recommended people must take the drug only after consulting a doctor as it contains mefenamic acid which can trigger adverse reactions like DRESS syndrome, etc.
• Meftal is a commonly used drug for menstrual cramps and rheumatoid arthritis.
• The primary constituent of Meftal is Mefenamic acid, a pain-relieving agent employed for the alleviation of muscle and joint pain as well as menstrual pain.
  • Additionally, it exhibits efficacy in mitigating sore throats, nerve pain, and muscle aches.

ABOUT DRESS SYNDROME

• The Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a unique and severe idiosyncratic response to a medication, marked by a protracted onset period.
• It was linked to medications such as abacavir, allopurinol, and lamotrigine.
• Subsequently, it manifests through a diverse array of clinical symptoms, typically including fever, skin rash, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, and a spectrum of systemic manifestations ranging from mild to severe.
• It poses a considerable life-threatening risk, with an estimated mortality rate of approximately 10% across various studies.

ABOUT INDIAN PHARMACOPOEIA COMMISSION

• IPC is an autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Its basic function is to update regularly the standards of drugs commonly required for treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.
• It publishes official documents for improving Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).
• It promotes rational use of generic medicines by publishing National Formulary of India.
• It prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from the health care perspective of human beings and animals.
• It provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which act as a fingerprint for identification of an article under test and its purity as prescribed in IP.