AIDAN opposes IPA move against generic substitutes at JAKs

Opposing the stand of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) over a government proposal concerning the dispense of generic substitutes at Janaushdhi Kendras (JAK) the All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) wrote a letter to the Union Health Ministry urging them to ‘allow’ dispensing substitutes of prescription medicines in the “interest of patients.”

In a letter address to the Union Health Minister the advocacy group unequivocally opposed the stand of IPA (an alliance of India’s top 26 drug makers) who had last month said that going with the move would open floodgates of similar demands by trade channels, such as general pharmacy stores.

Contrary to this, AIDAN had communicated that, “the move is in the interest of patients and would help to bust the myth that only renowned brands are of good quality.

Additionally through experts that the functioning of the state FDAs should be radically improved with quantum jump in the number of Drug Inspectors as per the Mashelkar.

Citing the National Drug Survey(NDS) the drug advocacy group countered the IPA stand over NSQ’s (Not Standard Quality) drugs and stated “that many of the renowned brands have also been found to be NSQ.”

The open letter from adrug advocacy urged that the Union Health Ministry should constitute an expert panel to assess the feasibility of allowing generic substitutions for prescription drugs, provided they match the original in substance, strength, and dosage form.