1. The Drug Policy of our country is framed by the Ministry of Petroleum & Chemicals and has very little to do with Health Ministry.

2. Drug policy of our country does not consider removing inessential or hazardous (or harmful) drugs from the market.

3. The Drug Policy merely stopped with the pricing of drugs alone. The prices of essential drugs showed an increase on the plea that it would be an incentive for the drug companies to manufacture them.

4. There is no price control over a vast number of drugs in the market, most of which are unessential. This will only ensure more irrational drugs in the market!

Drugs For Primary Health Care

World Health Organisation has recommended that most diseases can be managed by 372 Essential Drugs. Amongst these just few are required for day to day use. Again many among theses are not required for daily use. For example drugs that are used for treating cancer or drugs used for anaesthesia and so on. It has been identified that ultimately for routine primary health care there are around a dozen or so drugs that are needed. These drugs can be easily handled by Health Worker with some good training.

They are Tablet Paracetamol, Tablet Salbutamol, Tablet Mebendazole, Tablet Aluminum Hydroxide, Tablet Ferrous Sulphate, ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution), Tablet Chlorapheniramine maleate, Ring worm ointment.

GENERIC NAME & BRAND NAME

Almost every drug has two names

Generic name and

Brand name.

Generic name refers to the name of the drug as it is known all over the world. Where as brand name is given by the drug manufacturing company.

For example Tablet Paracetamol is generic name. This drug is sold by different companies under different brand name like Tablet Crocin, Tablet Calpol, Tablet Malidens and Tablet Pacimol. The same drug manufactured by different drug companies but with different companies. Generic name of a drug is always written in small letters on the package.

By propagating trade name the company that has the capacity to make more advertisements will sell the drug by misleading advertisement and thus ensure more profit.

While there are only 372 essential drugs, today the Indian market is flooded with around 80,000 formulations. As the same drug is sold under different, it becomes difficult for the doctor to know and remember the drugs, apart from confusing the consumer. Often the cost of the drug increases as it is sold under trade name. It was recommended by Hathi Committee during 1976 that drugs should be sold under generic name. This was resisted by the drug companies.

There is also variation in prices of drugs sold under brand names as the promotional expenditure and administrative overheads are added on to the costs of the final products.

For example

The generics cost almost one fifth the cost of the branded drugs.

The quality of the drugs is no less than that of branded drugs. Unfortunately doctors are influenced by drug companies and support brand drugs. Let us hope people insist on generic drugs and benefit out of it.

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