Haryana-based Association of Chemists and a member of the Haryana State Pharmacy Council have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to provide cheaper medicines to patients.
The member of the Council, B.B. Singal, in a letter to Mr. Modi, has pointed out that on the lines of ‘Jan Aushdi’ medical stores, several non-governmental organisations have also come forward and are involved in selling medicines, significantly less than the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
“However, it has been observed that most of the time, the brands which are being prescribed by doctors are not available at these stores. The brand offered is different but may have same composition-salt. In open market, substitution of the brand having same composition-salt is not permissible as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, so the patients are deprived of the cheaper brands from the open market,” said Mr. Singal.
He added that as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, Section 65, sub section 11(A) “No person dispensing a prescription containing substances specified in Schedule H and Schedule H1 or Schedule X may supply any other preparation whether containing the same substance or not in lieu thereof.”
Seconding the demand, Sanjeev Goyal, general secretary of the District Chemist Association, Panchkula, said if the Act was amended, it would be of great convenience for patients to get medicines at a cheaper price from a nearby chemist rather than going to the “Jan Aushdi” store or similar stores.
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