The state government will receive quotations for supply of drugs from the Kerala based pharma manufacturers and thereby allowing them to participate in the government initiative to supply medicines at cheaper rates, said Kerala health minister, Adoor Prakash.

Earlier when the government called a meeting of the captains of 71 manufacturing companies from across the country, not a member of the Kerala Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, which has a membership of 40 units, was invited to the meeting. Miffed at not being invited to the crucial government initiated meeting, the association decided to approach the government to apprise their potential and capability, and express willingness to supply their available drugs at a rate fixed by the government.

When Pharmabiz contacted, health minister Adoor Prakash said the invited companies are supplying medicines to the government agencies for long and no new company was asked to participate. But he said there would be involvement of all the manufacturing units in the state. The state drugs control department would take the list of medicines available with the Kerala units and assess their capabilities to manufacture and supply to the government programme.

Regarding complaint about no support from government to the pharma industry in Kerala, the minister said he would study their problems and lend all possible help to the industry for its growth. He said there was no deliberate decision to avoid the KPMA units from participating the pharma leaders’ meeting.

When asked whether the wholesalers will have any involvement in the distribution of drugs as per the new drugs policy, the minister said if they are ready to co-operate with the government they will be entertained, or otherwise they plan to turn against the government move, it will have its repercussion, Prakash said.

Later while speaking to Pharmabiz, the secretary of the Kerala branch of All India Chemists and Druggists Federation, K Sivasankaran said the government’s decision is to crumble the established distribution chain in Kerala, and asked how the government could distribute medicines to the whole of Kerala through its 75 outlets. He said his association would support the government in supplying high tech medicines like those for cancer, nephrology, kidney diseases etc. But the plan to supply all kinds of anti-biotic items is aimed at expunging the decades old drug distribution net work in Kerala, he alleged.