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Colour-coding of medicines to promote Generic Medicines: But what about trade-margins

It refers to media-reports about central government considering colour-coding of generic medicines like is done to distinguish vegetarian and non-vegetarian food-products for promoting sale of generic medicines which is considered to be cheaper than their corresponding branded medicines. Already steps like printing name of generic chemical on branded medicines in font-size double that of branded name, separate shelves for generic medicines in chemist-shops and making it compulsory for medical practitioners to print name of corresponding generic chemical in legible writing together with name of branded medicines have been taken by the government.

But such steps other than printing of name of generic chemical on packs of branded medicines are not followed in practice. Moreover there is no fixed trade-margin on generic medicines which allows selling generic medicines at exorbitant trade-margins of even 400-percent making them having Maximum-Retail-Price MRP almost equal to corresponding branded medicines.

Government should cap maximum trade-margins for all medicines without any classification, but at least compulsorily for generic medicines to make generic medicines available to general public at really economical prices. It should be compulsory for computer-age medical practitioners to give computer-printed prescriptions, though old-aged practitioners not having computer-knowledge may be exempted from any such provision. Over-sale or befooling through gimmick-packaging should be checked by compulsory packing of generic and other medicines only in units of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 gms, mltrs or units unless exemption is sought from regulatory authority for dose-wise administration of drugs.

 

SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL

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