SRINAGAR: The authorities in Kashmir say they are making all efforts to check the growth of spurious drug combinations and adulteration with its new drug policy, even as chemists went on a day-long strike against it on Saturday.
Authorities say enforcement of the new policy will prove helpful in checking growth of fake medicine and adulteration of highly chosen brands.
The Chemists and Druggists Association (CDA), however, protested against the policy saying it will affect more than five lakh people who are directly and indirectly associated with the pharmaceutical business, worth Rs 1200 crore in the state.
Health officials alleged that market for drugs has been growing rapidly in terms of production, trade, investment, employment and consumption, and that highly priced branded drugs cost patients a lot of money.
Under the purview of New Drug Policy, the capacity of the Health and Medical Education Department to procure good quality drugs and ensure timely supply also has scope for improvement, they say.
They say law enforcement agencies have started a process to identify the pharma companies and illegal drug stores, who were violating the norms and are using the state as their ‘dumping ground’ for products.
“Government would also set up an intelligence-cum-legal cell in Drug and Food Control Organisation to facilitate contravention of fake drug rackets and their prompt prosecution.”
The officials told the United News of India that the monitoring and valuation is an essential component of the new policy, with a provision that checking should take place at regular intervals and complete external evaluation of the drugs supplied be conducted after every two years.
The main objective of the drug policy is to promote access to affordable essential medicines of adequate quality to the people of the state, they say.
“It stresses on rational use of drugs and promising to promote local manufacturers of pharmaceuticals in line with the state industrial policy.”
