Branded drugs get booted out

Need to tackle quality of generics before change in law: Docs

The Indian Pharmaceutical Association is crying foul. They say that there will be a major shortage of generic drugs if all doctors start prescribing the same ones and the quality of generics has be first tackled before the law can be enforced on compulsory generic drugs.

The new instructions by the Medical Council of India to the all Indian Medical Association, hospitals and institutions that only generics must be prescribed or the doctors will be liable for action, has got many of them upset.

The MCI’s order has led to hospital management and IMA members sending circulars that chemical names must be learnt and prescribed on the prescription list.

A senior doctor on condition of anonymity explained, “We now need to familiarise ourselves with the chemical names as most of us remember drugs only by their brand names.

Hence there has to be a conscious effort taken to write only the name of the chemical, which is quite a task. In medical colleges also, the teaching is mostly via brand names only and there too changes have to be made.

“While IPA has stated that there is going to be a shortage of drugs, pharmacists are stating that 20 per cent of global generic drug exports are by India and if the change happens there will be sufficient stocks for India. With generic drugs being exported to over 200 countries, the therapeutic value and efficacy of the generic medicines is good, but a bad name is being given to them in the market for ulterior motives.”

National president of the Pharmacy Association, Dr Sai Kumar Katam, explained, “Ninety per cent of the medicines sold in the market are branded as generics. The demand is to have only generic drugs where the quality, strength, purity and stability must be maintained. For this, the brand names will have to go and that is the reason the industry is very upset.”

IPA has stated that 9,500 units will close down and more than 50 lakh people will lose their jobs if the law is enforced. J. Jayaseelan, secretary of the pharmacy division of IPA explained, “The government has to understand that companies are manufacturing branded generics. Only MNC’s are the suppliers of highly priced patented or branded products. Before moving ahead, the government must discuss with experts in the industry and various pharma associations about the dynamics of the market.”