By Daya Sagar
In India still most of the allopathic drugs / medicines even falling in the National List of Essential Drugs 2011 ( 348 in number ) are prescribed and sold under brand names eight years after Government of India trumpeted in 2008 having come up with Jan Aushadi Store programme (now known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Kendra ) coupled with intent to promote prescription writing by generic name / chemical name and not brand name so as to relieve the already suffering community of the unfair burden of inflated by MRPs (as high as even 500 % of what could be a MRP with reasonable profitability ).
It has been so since the government infrastructure has not been serious about implementing such corrective scheme on ground. Inspite of the need being so pressing for enforcement of prescription writing by chemical name and promotion of Jan Aushadi Store ( Kendra), still even after naming the programme as Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadi Kendra and BJP lead Government being there both in the Center & in J&K State there is a microscopic number of Jan Aushadi Kendra in India / J&K. It will not be wrong to say that such like disappointing fate of a national level public cause programme can only be due to unfair trade practices having inflicted the implementing agencies.
A very large Indian population , that too from amongst the senior citizens at least 80% of whom are not covered by any pension like the retired government servants, is even subjected to life time treatments under allopathic drugging for hypertension ( BP ) / Cholesterol & Triglycerides management / diabetes and is hence being fleeced under the unfair ‘pricing’ ‘regime’ by the drug sellers with the assistance of the prescription writers.
Imagine what great challenge a programme like Jan Aushadi Store would have thrown to some of the branded allopathic drugs that are marked with unfair MRP and are sold under prescription of medical practitioners for Cholesterol & Triglycerides management like Lipicare TG ( Atorvastatin 10mg + Fenofibrates 160mg ) 15tab With Mrp Rs 246 And Lipicard Av ( Atorvastatin 10mg + Fenofibrates 160mg Tab ) 10 Tab With Mrp Rs.146 When Jan Aushadi – Jas ( Atorvastatin 10mg + Fenofibrates 160mg Tab ) 10 Tab could be available just with MRP Rs 24.39.
JAS MRP as only Rs 24.39 for 10 Tab and some other brand as high as Rs.246 for 15 Tab i.e a fair monthly expenditure of just around Rs.75 gets inflated to Rs. 492/- per month for Lipicare due to unfair pricing…
Even some leading pharma companies manufacture medicines of same generic stream and same active ingredient {having same therapeutic effect} separately under different Brand name (like amlopres-at 5 MG/50 MG TAB @ 30 tablets MRP Rs.171.50 Cipla Ltd ) and Branded generic stream ( like AMLIP AT 5 MG/50 MG TAB @ 10 tablets MRP Rs..55.OO CiplaLtd ) bearing almost the same MRP. But the prices to dealers / retailers for ‘branded generic ‘division medicines could be in some cases with discount of about 80% where as that from ‘Brand’ name channels may be with only 20 to 25 % discount for same product to be sold under different trade names.
Hence times demand that efforts be made for prescribing / using medicines and sale by generic name so that no one can unduly exploit the
suffering patients. Medicines are sold at unfair exorbitant extra margins and profits to benefit more the seller and prescriber.
The manufacturers earn directly / indirectly additional money and also keep the prescribing doctors in good humor through incentives using various ‘promotional’ methods.
In case the use of medicines by generic is promoted, the sale prices would go down due to healthy competition.
Even those who exploit the market in the name of branded medicines would come in the market with the same medicines but at cheaper prices.
If not for branded medicines, atleast, for the branded generic medicines the prices would be lowered and the retailer margins would surely reduce. The burden of treatment on the ailing patients would be hence less killing.
(Daya Sagar is a senior journalists and social activist can be reached at [email protected])
