NEW DELHI, 4 JULY:
The AIIMS medicine store which claims to be giving medicines on 56%
discount has come under scanner for allegedly substituting the medicines
prescribed by doctors with other drugs to make more profit. The 24X7
store allegedly provides discount on generic versions with print rate
almost as high as the branded ones.
For example, a lesser known generic version of sulbactum and
cefoperazone (2g) - antibiotic for serious infections - is priced at Rs
525 (before the discount) while the company which owns research molecule
sells it for Rs 598 without the discount. Several other generic drugs
with the same molecule are available in the market for less than Rs 250
(minus the discount) only.
Doctors say the store has no authority to give substitute drugs
on its own. "It is illegal and is being done only to earn more profits.
They should tell the patient if a particular drug is not available. Or
the institute can come up with a list of generic drugs which can be
given as alternatives to the commonly prescribed medicines," a doctor
said.
Though the AIIMS store was opened more than six months ago, the
committee, as suggested by a high court order, to oversee its
functioning is yet to be formed. The complaint or suggestion box has not
been installed near the store either.
AIIMS spokesperson Dr Y K Gupta, who is also the head of the
pharmacology department, said the committee is being set up. He added
that the complaints about unavailability of medicines and the issue of
substitute drugs would also be looked into soon.
Khurshid Alam, a student of Jamia Milia Islamia University, who
went to buy medicines for his mother undergoing treatment for pain in
the cervical spine on Tuesday, alleged that out of the six prescribed
drugs, five were unavailable at the store. "They gave me substitutes
which have the same preparation but are sold with a different brand
name. The pharmacist told me to either take their medicine or go to a
private store. I bought them from the AIIMS store," said Alam.
Another patient, Suman Kumar, alleged that many prescribed drugs
were not available at all. "I have been coming here to buy
anti-epileptic drug prescribed by the doctor for more than a week but
they say it is not available," he said.
Recently, AIIMS has decided to open two more pharmacy stores on
the campus. Its doctors say strict regulation of the drug prescription
and sale is required. "The plans to provide cheaper generic drugs with
higher print rates under the garb of substitutes should not become a
practice to make more profits," said a doctor. He added that while the
government is focusing on generic prescription, it should also come up
with mechanism to strictly monitor its pricing and quality.
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