The wonder drugs

          Recently there was a flood in my country and lot of related things were flooding the social media. One thing I noticed was the list of essential medicines. Three of my favourite medicines were in the top of the list. There are lots of things that need appreciation in the field of pharmacology. But I love these three drugs because of the magic they do. I am sure everyone reading this will have used these medicines more than once.

Acetaminophen (Paracetamol)

This is number one drug. Can you believe this drug has been discovered a century ago? However it required repeated testing and clarifications regarding toxicity before it became available for public use in the second half of last century. Fever, body ache, malaise, head ache, you name it, it is the first thing to be swallowed. I hated the bitter taste when I was a kid.

Till recently I believed that animals could take all the drugs, which are safe for humans. But it is not so. Each animal different metabolism and drugs can turn out to be toxic to them. Paracetamol is toxic to cats and they are used as toxin for snake control program in Guam!

ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution)

The concept of ORS therapy has been developed within the last 40 years. It is a simple solution for a dreaded problem. An attack of diarrhea can make one all empty. ORS really helps to fill up the missing volume and make feel better. It is from my and my patients experience that, it is definitely one of the best solutions.

Nasal Decongestant spray/drops (Oxymetazoline, Xylometazoline)

This is a day saving drug. All of us know how tiring it is to work with a stuffed nose. This is the magic drug, which clears the nose within seconds. I have been a fan of this drug. This medicine has saved my day, more importantly my sleep, than any other one.

Given that, there is no wonder why these medicines top the list of essential medicines. All of them are over the counter medicines and I think every one should have it in their home, unless they haven’t got it already.

I respect those wizards who make these magic potions. Medical science would not have done much to alleviate the sufferings of human being with out the contribution of chemists and pharmacists who dedicate themselves for the development of new medicines.