National Drug Policy, hopes for law this year

Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO:With vague hopes of an early introduction of the proposed National Drug Policy by the Health Ministry, our nation continues to be tricked into high-priced and over rated medicines, dumped on us by multinational companies.

Virtually a sick nation or made so by these drug barons and certain medical practitioners, Sri Lanka has become a dumping ground and a lucrative source of business for these drug companies.

Authoritative sources at the Health Ministry said the National Drug Policy is being drafted by the National Drug Authority and they were hopeful of implementing the law within the course of this year.

“The Minister is determined to ensure this is a perfect Act with no loop holes for offenders to go free,” he said in reason for the delay.

This law, is expected to monitor and streamline the activities of thousands of pharmacies throughout the country. “But keeping a tab on doctors prescriptions will be very difficult,” he confessed. We have to look at all sides. Imposing a ban on brand names not at all practical or possible at this stage,” the sources said adding that this was a practice that cannot be changed overnight. Instead they would like to educate the public on drugs and doctors on ethics.

However, the delay in bringing the National policy is taking its toll on the already burdened masses.

A seasoned pharmacy owner now operating a distribution agency for a leading multinational drug company alleged that these companies through their fleet of sales reps, keep a steady track of doctors’ prescription records in the log books maintained by pharmacy retail shops.

The person who had been in the business for three decades wished to remain anonymous for fear of retribution.

The pharmacies are required to maintain a log book by the Health Department to get the retail licence renewed. These logs contain data such as the name of the practitioner and the drugs prescribed to the patient.

The sales representatives working for the drug companies go through these log books allegedly to check if the doctors they have ‘approached’ kept their word to issue certain number of prescriptions to their patients per month.

“Whenever a new drug is introduced, the drug companies do a market research to find how many similar products by their rivals are available in the market.”

“Then the solicitation rounds by medical reps begin in private clinics and hospitals. In the process the reps sometimes offer bribes varying from a plain hamper to bigger enticements such as electronic appliances, holidays in local hotels and even foreign trips.”

There are 15,000 registered dispensaries and 200 private hospitals in the country. The number of private clinics and medical laboratories are unknown.

There is the same arrangement with the pharmacies, but these inducements, varying from promotional mugs, pens, wall clocks and mini fridges, are not as attractive as those for doctors.

All they have to do is to promote their product among the customers, try to palm off some other drug instead of what has been prescribed by the doctor.

Most unsuspecting patients who wish to be relieved of their ailments and suffering will not hesitate to trust the pharmacies. Moreover, most have their preferred pharmacies to which they go as a habit and the trust is already sealed.

If the law to prevent doctors from using brand names instead of generic is brought in, the drug companies would transfer their attention from Doctors to pharmacies.

In that case the pharmacy owner will be tapped instead of the doctor, to issue specific brands to the customer arriving with a prescription with a generic name.

“It will never work,” the seasoned pharmacist, referring to the brand name ban said. Disclosing one of his own experiences he said once a Doctor operating a private clinic dropped in with a massive haul of drugs brought down with him during one of his overseas trips.

The Doctor instructed him to sell the medicine to his patients who will come in search of that particular brand which will be available only in his pharmacy for obvious reasons.“I could have sold the drug at any price I liked since I knew it was available only in my pharmacy.”

At present around 7400 brands of drugs are being imported to the country, mainly from Switzerland, UK, US, Australia, Germany, India and Malaysia. The State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation produce only about 216 drugs locally.

Usually the drugs of the original patent holder is very much higher but the substitutes can be found for very much lesser prices. For instance the cholesterol pill (Atrovastatin-Generic name) from USA (Brand name Zocor) costs around Rs. 180.

The Indian pill with the same compound can be bought for a price of Rs. 18 to Rs. 20. Once the patent for a certain drug expires, cheap substitutes flood the market from countries like India and Malaysia.

The pharmacists and certain doctors argue that these brands are slow in action and low in quality and purity. “If you take ten pills out of a cheap drug, each differ from the other in its effect. This can be detrimental,” one pharmacy owner at Wellawatte said.

However, Lawyer Jagath Gunewardena an activist fighting against the market dominance of multinational companies says this is a notion nursed by drug barons and the patients are being taken for a ride. All the registered drugs need to go through a screening by the Health Department where its quality and purity is confirmed.

The masses are puzzled as to whom to be trusted. They await for health authorities to take appropriate action and relieve them of their pain of mind.