Congress MlA Navprabhat asked the State Government to state its policy regarding generic medicines.
Replying, the Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi said that as per the drug purchase policy-2009 and Uttarakhand’s drug purchase list, the State Government is procuring medicines through e-tender.
As far as the maintenance of quality is concerned we have been collecting 20 per cent of the medicines manufactured randomly and sending them to eminent institutions to have their quality checked, he said.
As far as price is concerned we have made provision we cannot purchase medicines above the ceiling price as fixed by DPCO.
MlA Navprabhat then asked the Minister to define generic medicine.
Negi said that drug manufacturing companies do lot of research and whenever they come out with any new drug they patent the medicine.
During the patented period, no one can prepare drugs by the patented formula. However, after 10 years other manufactures can make such medicines. Then the medicine is known as generic medicine as anyone can make it.
In a supplementary question, MlA Dr Shailenra Mohan Singhal asked the minister whether the State Government has any generic drug procurement policy. Do we have shortlisted the companies which manufacture high quality generic drugs, he asked.
Negi said they have been procuring medicines through e-tendering. MlA Navprabhat informed the House that generic medicine is four to five time cheaper.
This is why we should promote generic medicine not just in the Government hospital but among the private practitioners too, he said, adding that the people should be spared the plight of going for expensive branded medicines, the MlA said.
Minister Negi said that we are going to implement Clinical Establishment Act in the State and once it is implemented we can force private hospitals to prescribe generic medicines.
Moved by the ruling party MlA going active to make the Government part with important information, the Opposition members said they would welcome such instances of public-spiritedness.