Bar coding for medicines, training for drug manufacturers and an integrated approach toward zero tolerance for sub-standard medicines in the country is on the anvil.
All this has been planned and is to be implemented with the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) claiming to be hard at work along with the Union Health Ministry, manufactures and its inspectors to ensure that the drugs made available to the common man has 100 per cent potency and isn’t sub-standard.
Integral approach
“Bar coding of drugs is part of an integrated approach that we are adopting to ensure that the problem of sub-standard medicines is weeded out and we inch faster toward zero tolerance policy when it comes to setting quality standards for our drugs,’’ said DCGI G.N. Singh speaking to The Hindu on Sunday.
He explained that the country has seen a steady fall in percentage of substandard medicines in the market with the value now hovering at around 4-4.5 per cent.
“The fall has happened from 2002 when we were seeing a 10 per cent circulation of substandard drugs in our markets. We are now ensuring that awareness among manufactures and training is part of our holistic approach to deal with this problem. We have to ensure stringent regulatory systems, invest in drug regulations, strengthening and training - but all of this has to be done in totality and not as isolated islands of initiatives,’’ he explained.
For India where 58.2 per cent of the total health expenditure is an out-of-pocket cost burden with medicines accounting for 70-77 per cent of this cost, according to World Health Organisation, sub-standard drugs are known to increase this cost burden besides harming the health of the population.
Through this new system the Ministry is also hoping to net the problem of over-charging of medicines.
“With each drug sample having a unique identification code system including those imported into the country as well as manufactured here we are hoping that this technology driven initiative will allow the customers to simply check the barcode on the medicine and match it with the drug manufacturer's details online thus eliminating any duplication or possible adulteration,’’ explained a Ministry source.
Meanwhile, the DCGI recently released a list of medicines, which included commonly used painkillers such as Combiflam, antacid tablets and painkillers that were found to be of substandard quality.
India already has a barcode system in place for medicines that are exported to other countries.
“This plan is currently with the Health Ministry which is examining it and once brought it will allow anyone with a smart phone to check whether the medicine bought is fake or genuine.
However, there said there still is no system to check the medicines that are brought from other countries to India or the ones sold here,” said Mr. Singh.
Through this new system, the Ministry is also hoping to net the problem of over-charging of medicines
