Kerala

Prescription for a healthy pharmaceutical industry

Life-saving drugs: Need for effective regulation.

These days most people depend on private hospitals for treatment. Some doctors play the agents’ role by prescribing unwanted medicines. Medical representatives also play their part. The doctors burden the patients with medicines that are not required at all. The vicious circle has in it drug manufacturers, distributors, medical shop owners and hospital staff. The State government should intervene and restrict the manufacture and sale of drugs. It is the responsibility of the government to see that the common man is not cheated.

Neelandon Kuruvattoor

Ottappalam

The drugs control administration has to monitor and curb the activities of middlemen. There should be better coordination among the departments concerned and the police. The government should hold talks with drug manufactures so as to ensure that the cost of medicines does not cross a certain limit. It should not allow the manufacturers and middlemen to dictate terms.

Kunhi Kannan

Koyilandy

The necessity of medicines is exploited by drug manufacturers and middlemen. Most people are ignorant about fair-price medical shops. The government should promote more such ventures. The economically weaker sections should be provided more subsidies and life-saving drugs should be made available free-of-cost.

The government should take necessary steps in this regard.

Nobody should be allowed to reap huge benefits by arbitrarily raising the prices.

K. Deviprasad

Kozhikode

The role of middlemen in raising the price of medicines should be checked. The government should buy medicines directly from manufacturers. Government-supported fair-price shops like Neethi and Maveli stores should be made effective.

Only the State can take the initiative to solve the problems plaguing the sector.

C.A. Rasik Kadankode

Kannur

Medicines are used by everyone. So an increase in the price of drugs becomes a social problem. The economically weaker sections of society are affected the most. It adds to their burden. The government should intervene and establish a mechanism to sell the medicines at affordable prices.

Awareness programme should be conducted to keep the public informed about such initiatives of the government. More Neethi and Maveli stores should be opened to curb middlemen.

Shibina Abdu

Kochi

Medicines have become inevitable today. But the common man bears the brunt of any increase in the price of drugs. The All-Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association is alleged to have collected money from drug manufacturers. Such acts shatter public faith. Drug prices vary considerably at different locations. Such things should not be allowed. Drugs should be priced strictly under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). The public is still not aware of the required standards to be met by the manufacturer, marketing agents and pharmacists. Hence, the media should play an active role in popularising these. Drugs also come under the category of essential commodities. Therefore, the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act may be complied with. The recent statement by the Health Minister that advertising by drug companies would be prohibited is a move in the right direction.

Krishna K.

Kochi

It is a fact that many pharmaceutical companies were reluctant to supply medicines to government-supported fair price shops such as Neethi and Maveli stores. When these companies were directed to supply drugs, they started supplying only select items. Now, it is the turn of the middlemen who create unwanted hurdles without the knowledge of either the government or the companies. The middlemen or the distributors deliberately create scarcity of medicines, even at fair price shops, by colluding with private stores. A recent raid on the office of the All-Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association reportedly revealed that it was engaged in unauthorised money collection from manufacturers. About 300 types of medicines, illegally stocked, were recovered. The government should also ensure distribution of quality medicines through fair price shops. Government control on production and sale of drugs is necessary in our set-up.

V. Viswanathan Nambiar

Thrissur

There is a medical mafia in our State. The mafia, which includes manufactures and distributors of medicines, medical representatives, medical stores/shops, nursing homes, hospitals, doctors and hospital staff, is making unholy gains at the cost of the public. There is no restriction on prescribing medicines. The patient should be made aware about his right to know the drug he is using. Also, he should know whether it is of help to him. Physicians should take pains to educate their patients on these fronts. Shopkeepers add tax based on their whims. The government should step in and regulate the whole business. Only such a pro-active intervention on part of the State can save the common man.

S.N. Thiruvazhiode

Kochi

Government-supported fair price shops like Neethi and Maveli stores are very few in number. It is not possible to ensure proper supply with such a few shops. More such ventures should be promoted. The public should be made aware about such fair price shops. There should be a multi-pronged approach to solve the problem. Physicians should not promote worthless drugs. Middlemen should be kept out of the scene.

S. Krishnakumar

Kottayam

Drug distributors getting to dictate supply and pricing is just a case of incompetent governance on the part of the authorities concerned. The pricing policy should keep in mind the poorest of the poor. Any challenge to this should be strongly dealt with. Drugs manufacturers and other vested-interest groups who overlook this should not be allowed to function. Manufacturers should show more social responsibility.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

The government, it seems, is moving in the right direction. All illegal and anti-social activities in the pharma sector should be curbed. There is need for more government control. But, all sections of society should play their part. Doctors should stop prescribing unwanted drugs. By promoting such drugs, they are promoting vested-interest groups at the cost of the poor patients.

P. Sankaranarayanan

Thripunithura

The skyrocketing of drug prices is partially due to the unfair activities of the All-Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association. As of now, it seems, they have the final say as to which company distributes which drugs. The Neethi and Maveli stores are affected due to this. Recently, the association issued a circular to all companies asking them to stop supplying medicines to counters that sell medicines at lower prices. The association’s highhandedness warrants stern action. The government should prosecute the office-bearers of the association.

V.P. Ramesan

Thripunithura

The case of patients in the economically weaker sections of society is pathetic. They have no choice but to buy medicines in the open market. Middlemen, by intervening at certain points, try to increase the price of drugs. To tackle this social issue, the government must purchase drugs directly from the manufacturers and control its supply and sale. Free supply of quality medicines to low-income groups and sale of drugs through Supplyco and Neethi stores would help. Laws should be enforced to effectively control private manufacturers. There should also be an inter-State agreement to control the price of medicines.

K.N. Baby

Kozhikode

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