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The Indian Government has lifted a ban on the foreign export of paracetamol three months after it was first introduced to cope with shortages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A notification published by India’s directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) on May 28 changed the export policy on paracetamol from ‘restricted’ to ‘free’ with immediate effect.

The drug was one of 26 products placed under export restrictions at the beginning of March as India sought to secure supplies for its own population amid a shortage in source ingredients from Chinese factories.

In the UK, all strengths of paracetamol have been subject to an export ban since March 23. Demand for the common OTC medicine saw a sharp rise early on in the coronavirus pandemic with some findings suggesting that it may be more appropriate for the symptomatic management of Covid-19 than ibuprofen.