Diclofenac - Learn About its Uses, Side Effects, Importance, And More!

Diclofenac is a medicine that reduces the inflammation and pain related to joints, muscles, and bones. Diclofenac’s chemical name (IUPAC) is [2-(2,6-Dichloroanilino) phenyl] acetic acid] or Benzeneacetic acid. Diclofenac does not cure the ailment. It only helps to reduce or stop the issue as long as Diclofenac is being taken.

The classification of Diclofenac is under NSAID ( Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Diclofenac is a phenylacetic acid derivative and NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and-2, which are the enzymes responsible for producing prostaglandins (PGs), and PGs contribute to inflammation and pain signalling.

Source: NCBI

In this article, we shall discuss Diclofenac's misuse and side effects, including its status in India. Furthermore, the article elaborates on a case study involving vulture life and the Diclofenac drug.

General Science is an important part of the syllabus of General Studies Paper – III in the Mains Examination. This topic will help you to prepare for GS – I(Prelims) of the UPSC CSE Exam.

Download the PDF on Diclofenac Notes for the UPSC Exam here!

What is Diclofenac?

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) thatthat reduces body substances that cause pain and inflammation. It is used to treat mild to moderate pain. It also helps with the symptoms of arthritis, such as edema, stiffness, inflammation, and joint discomfort.

Check out the article on Drugs Abuse!

Various Uses of Diclofenac

Various diclofenac medication formulations can be used for the following purposes:

Sr. No.	Forms of Diclofenac	Uses
1	Capsule	to relieve mild to moderate pain.
2	Tablets	to treat painful menstrual periods.
3	Extended-release tablets	to reduce rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis-related stiffness, discomfort, and edema.
4	Delayed-release tablets	to treat ankylosing spondylitis.
5	Solutions	to treat migraine headaches in adults.
6	Gel/Plaster	to relieve Joint Pain.

Tablet Design Delayed-release tablets: These are Enteric-coated tablets made to delay the release of the medication until the tablet has passed through the stomach. Extended-release tablets: Designed in a way that makes the medication inside readily available for a long time after consumption.

Arthritis Type Osteoarthritis: arthritis brought on by the destruction of the joint lining. Rheumatoid arthritis: arthritis brought on by swelling of the joint lining . Ankylosing spondylitis: arthritis that mainly affects the spine and related Parts.

Who Can and Cannot Consume Diclofenac?

• People with a history of allergic reactions to aspirin or NSAIDs should avoid diclofenac.
• Those with heart, kidney, or liver disease and asthma patients should only take it under the doctor's supervision.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take diclofenac without a doctor's advice.
• Children below 18 years are not prescribed diclofenac.

Check out the article on the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC.

Side Effects of Diclofenac

• Diclofenac, like all other medications, can cause mild to severe side effects, but this varies from person to person because not everyone experiences side effects from diclofenac.
• The majority of the side effects occur due to the intake of Diclofenac, though applying Diclofenac as a gel or plaster can cause side effects on the skin in a small amount.
• The side effects of Diclofenac by ingestion can be categorized into three categories. The following side effects can be caused by Diclofenac:

Sr. No.	Common Side Effects	Severe Side  effects	Serious Allergic Reaction
1	Nauseau	Blood in the Vomit and Bleeding in the Stomach (As a result of Black Poo)	rash of the skin that may be itchy, red, swollen, blistered, or peeling.
2	Diarrhoea	Severe indigestion, heartburn or stomach pain, vomiting or diarrhea (ulcer or inflammation in the stomach)	Wheezing
3	Feeling Dizzy and Headaches	The eyes become white or the skin turns yellow (a sign of liver problems).	Tightness in the Chest or throat
4	Stomach ache, wind or loss of appetite	Itchy rash, or swollen or puffy skin (signs of hives (urticaria) or oedema (swelling)	Trouble Breathing or talking
5	Mild Rashes	Breathlessness, tiredness, and swollen legs or ankles (signs of heart failure)	Mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat swelling

Additionally, the following list of side effects for Diclofenac Gel and Plasters is provided:

Sr. No.	Side effects of Diclofenac Gel or Plaster
1	more sensitive to sunlight than normal.
2	Dry or irritated skin (eczema)
3	Development of a rash where you applied the gel or plaster
4	Itchy or inflamed (dermatitis)

Check out the article on Orphan Drugs.

Ban of Diclofenac in India

• The drug controller general, the Government of India banned the veterinary use of diclofenac on July 4th, 2018, to prevent the misuse of Diclofenac on cattle.
• Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine, had been discovered in the animal carcasses that the birds were devouring, and it was killing the vultures by inducing renal failure, which has been related to metabolic failure or toxic illness.
• Diclofenac continued to be sold in huge 30-mL multi-dose vials marked “not for veterinary use” even after its use was outlawed. This allowed for the drug’s clandestine veterinary use, which contributed to a further drop in vulture populations. The Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare placed a ban on diclofenac multi-dose vials (MDV) on July 17, 2015, to prevent illegal veterinary use.
• In this response, the replacement for Diclofenac was developed and proposed after tests on vultures such as Meloxicam, which is a second-generation non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) medicine with analgesic and fever-reducing effects. Meloxicam is a medication that treats cattle in the same way that diclofenac does, but it is safe for vultures. Hence, Meloxicam will target both issues related to cattle and vultures.

Check out the article on the Drug Price Control Order for UPSC CSE Exam.

Vulture Action Plan 2020-25

• A total of twenty-three species of vultures are found in the world, nine of which are recorded from India. All the vultures are scavengers. The carcasses of livestock form the principal food source for vultures, which are now mostly dependent on human activity for their food.
• The population of vultures started to decrease from 1992 to 2007. The major cause of the decrease in vulture populations was found to be the veterinary use of the highly toxic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Diclofenac. A vulture is exposed to diclofenac when it feeds on the carcass of livestock that died shortly after being treated with it.
• The Government of India released the first Action Plan for Vulture Conservation (APVC) in 2006, which incorporated most of the findings and recommendations of the International South Asian Vulture Recovery Plane Workshop 2004 (ISARPW 2004).
• The plan was released largely in response to the catastrophic crash in the population suffered by the three most numerous species of vultures in India, largely due to the veterinary use of the drug diclofenac.
• In addition, a new action plan for vulture conservation in India 2020-2025 was launched in addition to the ongoing activities of the previous action plan in order to implement some of the essential actions for the safety of vultures. The proposal was introduced by India’s Ministry of Forest.

The following objectives with their actions have been proposed in the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India 2020–2025:

Sl. No.	Objectives	Actions
1	Preventing the poisoning of cattle carcasses, which are vultures’ main feeding sources	ensuring the sale of veterinary NSAIDs only on prescription.
		Administration Of a Normal Veterinary Dose To Cattle.
		Before releasing a new NSAID molecule onto the market, the drugs must be tested for safety on wild scavenging birds.
		Scientific Management of Carcass Dumps.
		Management Of Wild Animal Carcasses In Protected And Non-Protected Areas.
		A well-coordinated, well-established, and efficient regulatory mechanism for the prohibition of drugs discovered to be toxic to vultures.
2	Enhancement of conservation breeding program	Set up additional conservation breeding centers.
		Launch a Red-Headed Vulture and Egyptian Vulture conservation breeding program.
		Setting Up Vulture Rescue Centers To Cater To Injured And Sick Vultures.
		Vulture Reintroduction Programme Of Captive Bred Vultures From Breeding Centers.
3	Regular monitoring of vulture populations across the country	Transect counts.
		A Coordinated Nationwide Vulture Count.
		Nest Monitoring.
		Monitoring The Population Of Bearded Vultures.
4	Enhancing the vulture safe zone (VSZ) network by creating at least one VSZ in each state and continuing to work on the existing efforts of VSZ.	It is proposed to have one VSZ in each of the states.
5	Enhancing the vulture safe zone (VSZ) network by creating at least one VSZ in each state and continuing to work on the existing efforts of VSZ.	Unintentional Poisoning.
		Collisions with power infrastructure.
		Electrocution.

The disappearance of vultures had the following effects:

• As vultures are scavengers, hundreds of thousands of animal carcasses can be uneaten, which poses a serious risk to human health.
• Numerous infectious illnesses could potentially grow on livestock carcasses.
• The decline in vultures also increases the population of feral canines near carcass dumps, which has increased the number of rabies cases.

Therefore, it is imperative to implement the vulture action plan effectively if we are to maintain the vulture population.

Check out the article on the Drug Controller General of India DCGI for the UPSC CSE Exam.

Conclusion

12 of the 22 vulture species are in danger of going extinct globally. The extinction of the vultures is the supreme concern for the world’s ability to maintain the food chain. The use of Diclofenac is completely focused on the lives of vultures. Hence, each government is trying to manage the use and regulation of Diclofenac effectively.

In connection with this, in February 2020, a resolution was adopted by the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species to cover their use and regulation.

BirdLife International is a global alliance of independent (non-governmental) organizations operating in more than 120 nations that collaborate for the benefit of nature and people. Through its several programs, it also contributes to the preservation of vultures from extinction. It collaborates with the Bombay Natural History Society in India (BNHS).

Check out the test series for the UPSC IAS Exam here.

We hope all your doubts regarding Diclofenac are cleared. Here at Testbook, we are making a constant endeavor to provide you with the best and most up-to-date study material to keep you ahead in your UPSC IAS exam preparations. Testbook also provides Super Coaching for IAS, Live classes, Study Notes, and Test Series for various competitive exams, including- SSC, BANK, Railways, CDS, and many more. To avail maximum discount on our courses, download the Testbook App now!