Compulsory

Testing For HIV/AIDS Compulsory For New Military Recruits

Terming the disease as "virus enemy number one", the Indian armed forces will make testing for HIV/AIDS compulsory for new recruits in all the three wings from Oct 1. "Today the armed forces considers the HIV virus enemy number one// and, therefore, AIDS/HIV testing for all new recruits to the navy, army and the air force will be made mandatory from Oct 1," said the Director General o...

Compulsory testing for heavy metal content in herbal medicines

In response to reports of heavy metal contamination in herbal/ayurvedic medicines, testing of levels of such substances// would be made mandatory January 1, 2006. The Indian Government has already issued a notification to test products for heavy metals. However, this testing is only meant for products meant for export. It is likely to be extended to products sold in the country as well....

Opposition to Compulsory Fortification of Bread with Folic Acid

Laurie Powell President of the New Zealand Association of Bakers is opposing the compulsory addition of folic acid in the bread as it would not have the desired effect.// Folic acid addition in bread is made compulsory by the government to reduce the number of Neural Tube Defects (NTD's), in babies by ensuring that women of child-bearing age consume enough folic acid. But Mr. Powell als...

Compulsory Rural Stint for Doctors: Ramadoss

The government proposes to revive the thorny issue of making a one-year rural stint compulsory for medical graduates, said Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Friday.// A proposal on the issue would be drafted by December and placed before the cabinet, the minister told reporters after the second meeting of the ministerial steering group of the National Rural Health Mission....

Registration Compulsory For Nursing Homes, Clinics – Says A New Proposed Law By Health Ministr

Government-run health centres, hospitals, nursing homes, Diagnostic centres will soon need to be registered and also adhere to the minimum standards specified by law –// according to a new draft ‘Clinical Establishment Bill’ that has been finalised by the Health Ministry and is being sent to the cabinet for approval. The proposed law will apply to all recognised systems of medicines,...

Pre-Marital HIV Testing To Be Made Compulsory In AP, India

Andhra Pradesh, one of the large states of India accounts for 1.5 million of India's 5.7 million HIV/AIDS affected people.// The government of Andhra Pradesh is set to make it compulsory for couples to take a HIV test before marrying. This is done with a motive of putting an end to the birth of HIV positive babies from 2007. "Since condom use is not very popular, we are co...

Proposed Compulsory Treatment For Alcohol Addicts

The New South Wales Government, through a two-year pilot program would trial compulsory treatment for alcoholics up to 28 days at Nepean Hospital in western Sydney.// The government is drafting changes to the Inebriates Act 1912 to enable the trial to take place. The two-year plan, to be rolled out at Nepean Hospital, would allow a doctor to seek a court order to place serious substance...

Abbott Offers Aluvia to Thailand in Return for Compulsory Licensing Halt

Abbott Laboratories said this week that it is willing to proceed with the registration of a heat stable version of lopinavir/ritonavir called Aluvia in Thailand if the Thai// government will halt its plans for a compulsory license to allow imports of a generic version from India, and will sell it to the Thai government for $1000 a year. Abbott has been in dispute with the Thai govern...

Thailand Will Not Issue Compulsory Licenses for Patented Drugs

Thai Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla on Tuesday said that Thailand will not issue compulsory licenses to produce reduced-cost versions of patented drugs if pharmaceutical companies offer prices lower than those charged by generic drug makers, Reuters AlertNet reports. Mongkol's comments came one day after Abbott Laboratories and Thailand failed to reach an agreement on the price of Abbott's...

Brazilian President Silva Issues Compulsory License for Merck's Antiretroviral Efavirenz

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday issued a compulsory license to produce a lower-cost, generic version of Merck's antiretroviral Efavirenz, the AP/Forbes reports. World Trade Organization regulations allow governments to declare a "national emergency" and issue compulsory licenses on any grounds without consulting the foreign patent owner. Brazilian Health Min...

Drug Patent Compulsory Licensing

Penn State researcher argues that ambiguous international rules outlining when and how governments may "break" pharmaceutical patents may end up significantly reducing incentives for innovation while at the same time failing to increase access to medicines. In a new paper "Confronting Myths and Myopia on the Road from Doha," Daniel Cahoy, associate professor of business law at Penn St...