Bisomni 5 Availability in India: Buying It Safely

Bisomni 5 is Bisoprolol Fumarate Tablets IP 5 mg, a beta-blocker in the blood pressure management category. Every carton carries the caution that it is not to be sold by retail without the prescription of a registered medical practitioner. That is the Schedule H marking under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, and it applies to the chemist as much as to the buyer.

The reason is medical, not bureaucratic. Bisoprolol changes heart rate and blood pressure, needs the dose to be matched to the individual, and is not suitable for everyone. Choosing it, choosing the strength and deciding how long to continue are judgements a doctor makes after examining the patient.

A licensed chemist will keep a record of the prescription and dispense the quantity written on it. If a shop offers to hand over a beta-blocker without seeing any prescription, that is a reason to buy elsewhere.

Prescriptions vary in style, but a chemist generally looks for the same core details before dispensing Bisomni 5:

Keep the original safe and carry it to every refill, since repeat supply is at the chemist's discretion and within the limits of the prescription. Digital prescriptions and teleconsultation prescriptions from a registered practitioner are widely accepted, so keep the file or printout handy. Ask the chemist for a proper bill with the batch number on it, because that bill is what allows a pack to be traced later if any question arises.

Patients often ask why the same molecule appears under many names. Bisoprolol fumarate is the generic name of the active ingredient. Bisomni 5 is the brand name under which EMK Omni Pharma markets a 5 mg film-coated tablet of that molecule.

The letters IP after the ingredient name mean the tablet is made to the standards laid down in the Indian Pharmacopoeia for identity, strength, quality and purity. Different brands of the same molecule may differ in their excipients, coating, packaging and appearance while meeting the same pharmacopoeial standard.

That is why substitution is a decision for the prescriber and the pharmacist, not something to do casually at the counter. If your doctor has written Bisomni 5 and the chemist does not have it, ask them to order it rather than assume any 5 mg tablet on the shelf is an equivalent swap, and tell your doctor if the brand you receive changes.

Bisomni 5 is supplied as film-coated tablets in a pack of 10 x 10 tablets. Take a minute at the counter to look at what you have been handed:

Check the expiry date against the length of treatment your doctor has planned. Store the pack in a cool, dark and dry place below 25 degrees Celsius, protected from light, heat and moisture, which matters especially during the monsoon, and keep it out of the reach of children.

If the printing looks poor, the batch details do not match between carton and blister, the seal has been tampered with, the tablets look discoloured or broken, or the pack has no expiry date, do not take the medicine.

Stop, keep the pack and the bill together, and go back to the chemist you bought it from. Raise the matter with your doctor as well, since you will need a replacement supply without a gap in treatment.

Suspected spurious or substandard medicines can also be reported to the state Drugs Control Department, and suspected side effects can be reported through the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. You can write to EMK Omni Pharma at info@emkomnipharma.com with the batch number and photographs of the pack so that the query can be looked into.

EMK Omni Pharma is a prescription-medicine marketer based in Mysuru, Karnataka. Bisomni 5 is manufactured for the company at GMP certified facilities and supplied through the regular licensed trade channel of stockists, distributors and retail chemists.

Pharmacies, hospitals, clinics and distributors who want to stock Bisomni 5, confirm current availability of the 10 x 10 pack, or discuss distribution in a territory can get in touch directly:

Trade enquiries should include the firm name, drug licence details, GST number and the location to be served. At the pharmacy, Bisomni 5 should be stored below 25 degrees Celsius away from direct light and damp, stocked on a first expiry first out basis, and dispensed only against a valid prescription with the Schedule H record maintained. This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice from a registered medical practitioner.