Hi bloggers....

Here comes my first topic of this month Life style drugs and their impact on the society.

Whenever we see advertisements in the television we find many advertisements of the life style drugs.

A lady worries when she had sex without proper care and then she will get aware of the pil which she has to use within 72hours to prevent conception.

Advertisements on improving height. There is wide belief that height is important to do well in sports, selection of employment and to attract the ooposite sex. So it's the reason for the need of the drugs that can improve the health. But how far those products work when the people cross their puberty? According to the Drugs and Magic remedies act no person can advertise that their product can increase the height and its punishable too.

Drugs are used for the wrinkle free skin too.

So let us go through what these drugs are and their influence on society.

Lets go through the briefly regarding the life style drugs and then we can further continue our discussion on their effect on the society.

Life style drugs are the drugs which are used for non-medical problems. These are helpful in developing physical, mental and good looking characters. (1,2)

Here comes the classification of the drugs. (2)

1.Medicines that are used for the particular purpose which serve the lifestyle need too.

E.g. People use Sildenafil for the erectile dysfunction. And the same erectile dysfunction comes under the lifestyle requirement too.

2.Medicines that are used for some particular purpose and in addition can sevre other lifestyle requirement too.

E.g. The clinical use of the Minoxidil is the hypertension. But it causes the growth of the hair and so it is used in the alopecia.

3.Drug that are not having any clinical use but can serve the lifestyle requirement.

E.g.alcohol

4.Illegal drugs (mostly) and they do not have clinical use but can serve the lifestyle diseases.

e.g.Tobacco

5.Unregulated natural products.

e.g. Ascorbic acid.

In addition to the above drugs there are some drugs which are commonly used by the sportsmen to increase their capability. (2)

In case of the life style medicine, where there is a change in the lifestyle habits for the better health.

e.g. doing regular exercise in case of diabetes mellitus.

The market of the lifestyle drugs has been increasing enormously. This is because of the several reasons. There are advertisements regarding various drugs all the time of the TV. Disease mongering is the another problem (here what happens is a normal body disorder is shown as the medical problem, even the minor symptoms are considered as the major problems etc, which is being sponsored by the pharmacy companies in order to increase their market).(1)

Some of the life style critics worry that the problems that can be treated by the behavioral changes are being considered as the medical problems following diagnostician and treatment. Some section of the people may take that this is a development.

Indian Scenario:

80% of the Indians have to spend their own money for the health and there is no proper public health insurance plan to help for health. This may lead to poverty.

In India for now the lifestyle drugs are being used by the financially upper classes but this may extent to the other classes as the time proceeds.

Already Viagra is a huge success. The huge success of the lifestyle drugs is because of the media and pharmaceutical company's attitude.

Here In India there are 1.2billion youngsters. The advertisements that pretend that their particular product can develop the physical mental and sexual performance are threat on the fragile minds of the youngsters. (2)

CONCLUSION:

So our drug licencers should not be influenced by the western countries. The drugs that are not advertised correctly are to be complained to the DCGI/FDA of their respective state. We have many problems like lack of proper education and proper health. So its better to concentrate on those.

And it's the time to raise the questions....

How far it is correct to consider the wide use of lifestyle drugs as development?

Should the government and insurance companies pay for the lifestyle drugs?

And finally what is the influence of the life style drugs on the society?

References:

1.Life style drugs: Concept and Impact on Society by S.Z.Rahman, V.Guptha, Anupama Sukhlecha, Y.Khunte, Indian Jounal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Scientific publication of Indian Pharmaceutical Association, july august 2010, 72(4); 409 to 413.

2. Rang and Dales Pharmacology by Rang, Dale, ritter, moore, churchill livingstone publishers,6th edition, page no 765 and 766