Why IMA agitating against exposures in ‘Satyamev Jayate’?
It refers to Indian Medical Association (IMA) reported to threat Aamir Khan for defamation for his health-related exposures and irregularities in medical system through TV programme ‘Satyamev Jayate’ even though clarifications were made by Aamir Khan in following programme ‘Asar’ where some prominent doctors on the panel in the end resolved to extend hand of co-operation with Aamir Khan to take up issue of preventing loot by drug-manufacturers with Union Health Minister.
Drug-companies are known for ‘bribing’ some medical-practitioners by costly luxury cars, foreign-trips and many other gifts of every range according to reach of such medical-practitioners for recommending their branded medicines. Even IMA has accepted presence of some wrong-doers in medical profession.
10-11 percent normal discount on medicines by retail-chemists in certain areas like Khanpur (Delhi) displayed openly on sign-boards, reveals of huge margin between wholesale and retail prices of medicines.
Generic medicines which are priced at only a small fraction of branded medicines, should be made available through 24-hours medical shops mandatory to be opened at all recognised hospitals.
But real remedy lies in fixing prices of branded medicines on basis of cost of generic medicines rather than floated formula of fixing the price on basis of average price of three highest priced medicines from different companies with common basis salt.
How far it is justified to propose an average price of say rupees fifty fixed on basis of three highest priced branded medicines say rupees 40, 50 and 60 while same generic medicine may be costing just rupees two! Floated formula is nothing but a combined conspirated tactics of big drug-manufactures with decision-takers to fool general public.
Union government should accept Planning Commission recommendations to shift National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) from Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers to Union Health Ministry. Moreover metric-system of packaging in medicines in true spirit should be introduced by making it compulsory to pack medicines in units of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 or 500 gms/mltrs/kgs/litres/units unless exemption is sought for some dose-wise administration.
Many drug-manufacturers pack commonly used cough-lozenges in strips of eight instead of normal ten because commonly consumers judge price per strip rather than a lozenge.