Hyderabad: Irrational and unnecessary consumption of medicines is seen mostly in cases of diabetes, hypertension and endocrinology disorders wherein medical representatives are alleged to dump drugs in the market by showcasing benefits to doctors.
The department of pharmaceuticals requires companies to have a complaints cell but it is not working to the level required.
Mr Pavan M. Choudhary, who works with the medical technology division of a pharmaceutical company, said, “We have found that most Indian patients complain to chemists. They do not read the labels and complain to the companies. The manufacturing units hardly receive any complaint.” While the industry welcomes the pharmaceutical code but it wants it to be implementable.
A senior medical representative with a company said, “If the code says don’t give snacks to doctors coming for workshops, it is counter-productive and dilutes the code.”
The new code is going to be strict with medical representatives who are found to be involved in offering token benefits to gain access to healthcare practitioners.
Most of the out-patient departments of private hospitals have them sitting in a queue after 3.30 pm. Some doctors in the city have put up notices stating that representatives can meet them for one hour only on Saturday and Thursday.
Dr S K Sunder, a senior general physician, said, “Doctors have to meet the representatives to understand the new drug formulations which have come in the market. There is nothing wrong in meeting them. Getting influenced by them and prescribing drugs is wrong.”
For the doctors and the pharma companies to follow the code, it is important that it is formulated in a manner which is easy to implement.
A senior doctor said, “The government must work out a code which is practically possible to be implement and applicable to both doctors and pharma companies. If they frame a code which restricts the functioning of the doctor or the drug company, then patients are going to suffer. Yes, they must cut down on the freebies but those have to be identified and listed properly.”
