The medical supply corporations of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan have decided to work jointly to bring down the out of pocket expenditure on medicines and make free supply of essential drugs to all the patients coming to the government hospitals.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of CEOs of the medical  supply corporations of these states held at Thiruvananthapuram recently in which SC Pant, managing director of the Central Medical Store Organisation of Gujarat, K Ananadan, general manager, TN Medical Services Corporation,  M Shivarudraswamy, chief drugs supervisor, Karnataka Drug Logistics and Warehousing Society, Samit Sarma, MD, Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation and Biju Prabhakar, MD, KMSCL were present.

After the meeting, the corporations have reached a common understanding based on the established medicine procurement and supply policies of the respective governments. To affirm their commitments, the five corporations signed a joint declaration in this regard and as per its conditions these states will work in tandem with a common endeavour to promote the concept of ‘Access To Medicines' (ATM) in the Indian states, said Biju Prabhakar, MD, Kerala Medical Supply Corporation.

“We will work together, share and extend our skills and knowledge, expertise and experience for the purpose of providing quality medicines to the poor and the needy sections of the society through the public health facilities in an efficient and economic manner. We will do our best to promote, establish and popularize the concept of providing quality essential medicines free of cost to all patients coming to government hospitals,” says the declaration jointly signed by the CEOs.

The declaration opens avenues for exchange of drugs in case of exigencies on mutually agreed terms and sharing of drug stock positions whenever needed. It highlights the need for sharing of best practices, quality control, factory inspection of manufacturers, IT, logistics, inventory management etc. Further, it demands mutual help for capacity building and conduct of study trips among corporations.

The declaration also underlines uniform policies for drug procurement, common specifications, tender conditions, quality testing and assurance and black-listing. It will promote and help other states to implement the free medicines scheme announced by the government of India.

To achieve the goal, the states will utilize their services, government machineries, organisations and associations of various nature and the public to fight against all those who directly or indirectly involve in blocking, restricting or otherwise involve in the procurement, storage and dispensing activities of medicines both for free supply or sales through community pharmacies at subsidized or reduced rates, the joint declaration said.