But at the same time, it should ensure some maximum trade-margin on the other medicines apart from also fixing an upper-limit of profitability on their production-cost. It is noteworthy that generic medicines with same salt are much-much cheaper than those being sold under popular brand names. In case branded medicines are safer and extra effective than generic medicines, better is to altogether abolish concept of generic medicines.
Even certain generic medicines otherwise supposed to be cheaper have printed ‘Maximum Retail Price’ (MRP) allowing even up to 400 per cent trade margins above their respective ex-factory prices. NPAA should also look into pricing medicines in India where same salt is marketed by different companies in varying prices. Antibiotic ‘Ofloxacin’ has Maximum Retail Price (MRP) for 10 tablets of Rs 314.92, 88.00 and 55.00 for same medicine marketed by three different drug-manufacturers. There are numerous such medicines where drug-manufacturers are cashing their name by earning huge profits.
Drug companies bribe medical practitioners through costly super-luxury, foreign trips and many other gifts of every range according to reach of medical practitioners for recommending their branded medicines. Since retailers are competing by giving publicised discounts of 10-11 per cent, it is time to reduce trade margins on medicines.
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 a time name of medicine is printed only once on a complete strip of tablets/capsules. It is difficult to recognise medicine in balance of the strip having no name of the medicine. Authorities should make it compulsory to print name of the medicine on complete strip over every tablet/capsule. Moreover it should also be compulsory to print/emboss name of the medicine individually on each tablet/capsule.
