Add 50,000 registered pharmacies to CM's Pharmacy scheme: Association to Stalin

CHENNAI: The druggists and chemists in the State have urged MK Stalin to expand the Chief Minister’s Pharmacy Scheme by distributing generic medicines to 50,000 registered pharmacies across the State, along the lines of the Union Government’s Jan Aushadhi Kendra outlets.

The DMK government’s laudable aim to provide low-cost generic medicines through 1,000 exclusive outlets, named Mudhalvarin Marundhagam, might end up as one more failure along the lines of Amma Pharmacies launched by the then AIADMK regime if other registered medical stores aren’t brought into the loop, members of the association have raised a voice of concern.

Marundhagam launched across Tamil Nadu but chemists request him to provide generic medicines The Tamil Nadu Druggists and Chemists Association has written a letter to the CM cell urging for revision of strategy, pointing out that the Amma clinic and Cooperative Society Pharmacies have not been quite successful in the State.

“The DMK government should be wise enough to avoid treading a failed strategy. It can be ensured that people who get treatment in private hospitals can buy medicines at a lower price if all the registered pharmacies are brought into the ambit,” the letter stated.

The association also pointed out in the letter that no subsidy is being given by the Union government for medicines sold in Jan Aushadhi Kendra pharmacies.

The chemists claim a huge gap exists between the production cost and the selling price of medicines sold in private pharmacies. “Patients are forced to use only branded medicines prescribed by doctors, and pharmaceutical companies spend heavily on promotional expenses.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has failed to control the prices of medicines. Therefore, ensuring the availability of standard medicines to all people at affordable prices is the only solution,” the chemists urged the Chief Minister.

The State government can do more than just sell medicines at low cost, the association exhorted. “A mechanism could be devised by the government to calculate the production and sales costs, to stop fleecing.

Chief Minister’s Pharmacies should ideally rope in over 50,000 licensed pharmaceutical companies operating in Tamil Nadu to reach its goal of affordable medicine to the needy,” said S Ramachandran, a member of the Tamil Nadu Druggists and Chemists Association.