india

Updated: Aug 08, 2019 23:27 IST

Controlling medicine prices through Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 2017 saved at least Rs 12,400 crores, pharma secretary PD Vaghela said on Thursday.

Jan Aushadhi stores are also growing steadily in the country and have managed to generate a saving of Rs 315 crore (Rs 2000 crore for consumers) in the last financial year, he added.

Vaghela was speaking at the inaugural edition of the ‘CME Summit and Excellence Awards’ organized by the Indian Health and Wellness Council (IHW).

“My request to the doctors is to prescribe generic medicines at least to poor patients. The generic medicines are like branded medicines. The drug pricing control order (DPCO) in 2017 has made medicines more affordable…,” Vaghela said. He emphasized upon the need for continuing medical council (CME) quality healthcare delivery.

“Those doctors who are ignoring CME are doing so at their own peril. Though we cannot rule out information bias of pharmaceutical giants in CME, I believe including nurses and other support staff will make it more effective. We may also partner with IHW to develop CME programs,” he said, while highlighting the series of technological advances that have made headway across the world and are going to impact India as well.

Prescribing right medicines is also important.

“I believe supply of medicine is going to be important as the supply of basic necessities of healthy life – good air, water and food, are insufficient. Producing good medicine, however, does not guarantee good health, we need to make sure that the doctors have the knowledge to implement the upgradations,” said Kamal Narayan, CEO, IHW.

The CME courses in India are funded by a wide range of organizations such as the Union ministry of health and family welfare and the Medical Council of India (MCI), as well as international organizations such as UNICEF.

The MCI mandates that its members should complete 30 hours of CME every five years in order to re-register as doctors.