Centre's push for generic drugs yet to gather pace in Bihar

Patna AIIMS said no one had approached the hospital with request for opening a PMBJP outlet on the campus of the institute.

Despite the Centre's push, the Bihar health department is yet to ensure that the state-employed medical practitioners prescribe generic drugs to patients. It also does not have a well laid down plan to open Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) outlets on hospital campuses for the sale of high quality generic drugs at heavily discounted price compared to branded medicines at retail outlets.

Bihar health department is meeting with representatives of the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India to work out modalities on preparing a standard operating document for opening PMBJP outlets on campus of government hospitals. (HT/File Photo)

One such initiative by the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), an autonomous institute of repute, has failed to make much headway after becoming the first among state-run or autonomous medical colleges to offer patients a discounted package for cataract surgery in January last year, the system is yet to be fully functional in other departments.

Hospital officials say the process of listing requirements in terms of drugs, implants and consumables required for different procedures at clinical departments was going on. The consolidated list will be sent to the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) outlet and the Amrit store, set up on the hospital campus, to arrange for the supply of generic drugs and implants.

Depending on the cost of drugs and implants, the institute would work out packages for different procedures and integrate them with its hospital management information system (HMIS).

This would immensely benefit patients in getting standard, quality medicines and implants at a heavily discounted price, as compared to branded medicines available at retail outlets. Besides it will weed out touts and attendants of patients will not need to run around and arrange for medicines that are not available in the hospital formulary after a patient has been admitted.

“We are in the process of collecting the list of requirements for different procedures and hope to introduce the package system of charging patients for different procedures around May, this year,” said Dr Manish Mandal, medical superintendent, IGIMS.

Patna’s AIIMS has had the package system for over the last two years but does not have a PMBJP outlet on its campus.

“No one has approached us with proper authorization for opening the PMBJP outlet on our institute campus. We will be happy to lease out our space for such an outlet if we get a proper proposal,” said AIIMS-Patna director Dr Prabhat Kumar Singh.

He, however, was critical of the Amrit store, managed by the HLL, a PSU of the Central government that supplies generic drugs and implants, existing on its campus.

“The Amrit store is unable to fulfill all our requirements,” said Dr Singh.

Meanwhile, the state health department will on Wednesday hold a meeting with representatives of the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India, a PSU of the Central government, to work out modalities on preparing a standard operating document for opening PMBJP outlets on campus of government hospitals.

The state has only 222 outlets against the requirement to have at least one outlet under the PMBJP in each of its 534 blocks.

The state registered a 57% increase in sales under the PMBJP, when it rose from ₹3.19 crore in 2019-20 to ₹5 crore between April 2020 and February, this year. This was, however, 3% less than the national average growth of 60% till February, said officials.