Empower Pharmacists to substitute prescription to provide cheaper medicines : MRPA

aharashtra Registered Pharmacists Association (MRPA)'s demand from health ministry to allow Pharmacist (chemist) to suggest or supply cheaper alternative generic substitute of same ingredients of branded drug molecule proscribed by doctors so that people could have access to drugs at lower prices.

Recently, The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) decided to terminate health ministry's proposal to empower Pharmacists (chemists) to supply alternative cheaper drugs (Generic) with same ingredients. MRPA strongly opposes the decision of DTAB to turns down Union health ministry's proposal.

The Union health ministry proposal to amend Rule 65 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 to provide that the Pharmacist (chemist) may offer for supply a drug formulation containing the same ingredients but in generic or other cheaper brand name is in favor of Pharmacists and in the interest of Common Public interest. 

Kailas Tandale, President of Maharashtra Registered Pharmacists Association (MRPA), Mumbai writes to Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, "To look positively towards the intention of the Union health ministry by introducing this proposal to amend Rule 65 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 which will provide medicines to the common people at cheaper rates, especially through Jan Aushadhi stores."

Earlier, the department of pharmaceuticals had launched a country wide campaign for opening of Jan Aushadhi stores in the country under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana. The drugs covered in this scheme would be generic drugs that would be available at lesser prices than the market price and this way people could have access to the expensive drugs at discounted prices.