The government has finally found a solution to the huge stockpile of drugs past their expiry dates that are stored in drug warehouses across the State.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare U.T. Khader told reporters in Mysuru that the state government has now come up with policy to dispose off the expired drugs stocked in drug warehouses.
The stockpile of expired drugs, worth more than Rs. 10 crore, will now be scientifically disposed off under the supervision of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) officials. “We have invited tenders for the purpose. In the next six months, we will destroy all the expired drugs in the state. The government haa set aside a sum of Rs. 1 crore for the purpose,” he said.
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Till 15 years ago, all the drugs that were past their expiry date were buried in the soil at the district hospitals. But in the wake of a ban on such hazardous disposal of expired drugs, they (drugs) were piling up in the district drug warehouses. “Burial of expired drugs was banned, but no alternative was suggested to dispose them off,” he said and added that drugs worth around Rs. 5 lakh expired in each district every year.
As per the newly devised policy, such expired drugs will be scientifically disposed every year in the drug warehouses in future.
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The state government will be collecting a destruction cess of 0.5 per cent from the drug suppliers. Mr. Khader told The Hindu that the government sends a list of drugs that had crossed their expiry date to the supplier for refunding or adjusting against the amount to be paid for used drugs. Also, the drug suppliers need to pay a destruction cess amounting to 0.5 per cent of total value of drugs sold to government.
“These rules are already there, but are not implemented properly. We will now implement them,” he added.