A parliamentary panel has asked the Health Ministry to take immediate measures for complete shift towards procurement and distribution of generic drugs under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS).
The panel also asked the Ministry to make "earnest" efforts for finalisation of rates of proposed 1165 drugs for inclusion in the generic formulary.
The parliamentary committee also asked the Ministry to establish an effective centralised mechanism to periodically monitor the quality of generic drugs to provide good quality generic drugs throughout the country while asserting that international benchmark should be followed.
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The Public Accounts Committee of the Ministry of Health on "procurement of allopathic drugs in CGHS" in its 52nd report said that it "regrets" to note that inspite of lapse of six years, no concrete system has been put in place to effectively deal with the issue of complete switch towards generic medicines.
"The committee recommends that the Health Ministry should take immediate necessary measures in consultation with other stakeholders for complete shift towards the procurement and distribution of generic drugs.
"The Ministry should also establish an effective centralised mechanism to periodically monitor the quality of generic drugs so as to provide good quality generic drugs throughout the country. International benchmark may also be followed in this regard," the panel chaired by K V Thomas, said in its report.
The committee noted that in September 2010, the Health Ministry while approving the revised formulary of branded drugs had directed for complete shift towards generic drugs within one year both in prescriptions and supplies.
Noticing that there had not been tangible progress in the procurement and distribution of generic drugs, the committee in its 22nd report had asked the Health Ministry to continue with appropriate corrective action taken in coordination with CGHS Wellness centres to effectively implement the long term measures for complete shift towards generic drugs.
"The committee is unhappy to note that the replies of
the Ministry do not mention about steps taken on these aspects. Rather they have expressed that it might take some time before beneficiaries and doctors are persuaded to depend largely on generic medicines.
"The committee regret to note that inspite of lapse of six years since the Minister's statement, no concrete system has been put in place as yet to effectively deal with the issue of complete switch over towards generic medicines," the committee said.
The committee also took "serious" note of the failure of the Health Ministry to apprise it on the findings of the committee set up under DG (Health Services) and action taken by the Ministry.
"As regards the current status of finalisation of the rates of proposed 1165 drugs for inclusion in the generic formulary, the Ministry submitted that technical evaluation of the tenders floated is under consideration and tenders for 374 molecules are due for opening.
"The committee feel that in order to augment the procurement of generic drugs, Ministry should take earnest efforts for finalisation of rates of drugs and apprise the committee of the same within two months of the presentation of the report," the committee said.
