In an ambitious project aimed at ensuring timely and efficient accessibility of medicines to needy patients, the centre is planning to streamline and harmonise the procurement procedure of medicines falling under state government's free medicine scheme. It is understood that the centre is seriously contemplating to include these schemes under the National Health Mission (NHM) to enable better outreach to the patients.

To better understand the situation the centre is closely working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), state drug licensing authorities and state governments for developing a system that will help in analysing the requirements and needs for setting up a uniform effective procurement system. Every state has its own procurement and distribution system, which in some cases are very strong and effective, while in others not as per required standards.

In fact, WHO in specific instances have raised quality and other operational issues with respect to procurement and distribution of free medicines adopted by some states. Considering all this, the Centre is planning harmonisation of the policies relating to procurement and distribution of free drugs adopted by states.

Dr H G Koshia, commissioner, Gujarat Food & Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) informed that to bring in the changes, government is thinking in lines with mordernising the current system with e goverance and effective IT software system that will ensure not only quality assurance but also effective operational abilities as well.

"Effective procurement procedure is a vital requirement towards availability and accessibility of essential drugs to the needy patients. Thus the Centre's decision to go ahead with overhauling the current system adopted across states is a very progressive move to ensure better and efficient services to the patients," pointed out Dr Koshia.