Healthy Skepticism Library item: 14486

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Publication type: news

RTTNews
Indian Govt. Plans To Open Generic Drug Stores In 11 States
NASDAQ 2008 Oct 13
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20081013\ACQRTT200810130806RTTRADERUSEQUITY_0403.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999&StoryTargetFrame=_top&mkt=WORLD&chk=unchecked&lang=&link=&headlinereturnpage=http://www.international.nasd

Full text:

The Centre plans to open unbranded generic drug stores in eleven states, including Haryana and Punjab, in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, state governments and Non-Governmental Organizations, in order to make available drugs at cheaper prices on mass scale, media reported.

The Secretary, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dept. of Pharmaceuticals, Ashok Kumar, said on the sidelines of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research function or NIPER in Chandigarh, said that the Government is likely to kick off this project in this fiscal year itself.

He added that the state government would provide logistics for the opening of these stores, while pharmaceutical companies would supply the medicines to these stores. An agreement with the drug manufacturers will be reached with regard to rate at which they would supply medicines to stores.

The opening of these stores will not hurt the interests of drug companies, as generic drugs has just 5% and unbranded generic medicines have 2.5% in total drugs manufactured in the country, Ashok Kumar added.

The centre has also mooted a proposal to provide infrastructural facilities at newly opened NIPER institutes at various locations in the county on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Deloitte has been appointed as the consultant for preparing a report on this project, which will be ready by this month.

Five NIPER institutes have been set up in Kolkata, Guwahati, Hajipur in Bihar, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in participation with local medical institutes, he said. Another is going to be opened in Raibrailey next month.