Rs 1,000 crore made Dolo-650 India's go-to medicine for fever during Covid. Now, it is a problem

The medicine Dolo-650 has been given many names: 'India's favourite snack', 'India's go-to medicine', and some even compared it to candy. But a recent PIL against Dolo-650 has made the rise in consumption of the medicine questionable. 

What is the PIL claiming? On August 18, 2022, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Association of India against Dolo-650 in the Supreme Court. The PIL stated that the manufacturers of the Dolo-650 drug have been distributing freebies around of Rs 1,000 crore to doctors as consideration for prescribing the tablet.

Micro Labs Limited, a Bengaluru-based privately held firm, manufactures Dolo-650. It was founded in 1973 by a pharmaceutical distributor, GC Surana. The company is currently run by his son, Dilip Surana, who is the Managing Director. 

 Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud who was looking into this case said, "I was also asked to have the same when I had Covid. This is a serious issue."

As an antipyretic (for fever) and analgesic (for pain), Dolo-650 is the brand name for 650 mg of paracetamol(the salt). For decades, paracetamols have been common in India. People have been taking paracetamols over the counter to treat malaria, dengue, colds, and coughs.

Why 650 mg? Advocates Sanjay Parikh and Aparna Bhat, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, told the court that the government regulates the market price of tablets up to 500 mg. However, the price of the drug above 500 mg can be determined by the pharma company concerned. Parikh alleged it was done to ensure a higher profit margin by the company.

Additionally, the advocate said that he would bring more such facts to the court's attention after the Union government files its response. The court has asked the Union government to file a response within 10 days.

The pandemic caused the surge: "The first time I took Dolo-650, I had my first dose of Covid-19 vaccine and it was the pharmacist who suggested it, after that, I often take it when my body feels tired or I feel feverish", says Jeevesh Budhia, a 20-year-old content creator from Assam. His story resonates with millions of other Indians who started using Dolo-650 during the pandemic.

People have their own stories when it comes to Dolo-650. For example, Nilesh Agarwal, a student from Kolkata, heard about it from his pharmacist and Muskan Sharma, a CA from Guwahati, took it for the first time when her doctor prescribed it and soon Dolo-650 became the go-to paracetamol for everyone. It even became a hit on social media.

The memes followed: 

Dolo-650 consumption has increased greatly as a result of the Covid pandemic.

• According to statistics from healthcare research firm IQVIA, its sales peaked during the second wave when it sold Rs 49 crore worth of tablets in April 2021.

• During the pandemic, Dolo-650 was the most prescribed medication. 

And soon it didn't need any prescription as people started self-medicating and started popping Dolo-650 when they felt any symptoms of Covid-19.