The Health Ministry of Rajasthan is in the process of appointing over 1200 pharmacists in various government healthcare institutions in addition to 1500 appointed last year to expand its Free Drug Distribution Scheme launched by the state government in the year 2011.

Free drugs worth over Rs.450 crore have been distributed to the public since the scheme flagged of in 2011 and state government plans to distribute another Rs.300 crore worth drugs for the year 2013 - 14.

As a step towards making the scheme a model to be replicated across the country, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's ambitious free drug distribution scheme in government healthcare institutions is equipped with 16,000 drug distribution counters (DDCs) to offer 400 generic drugs to the poor and needy patients across the state.

The state government is planning to appoint more pharmacists to ensure that each DDC is manned by one pharmacist. Rajasthan has a total of 17,298 healthcare institutions including primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), sub centres and government hospitals. The state government is also contemplating to add 200 more drugs to the distribution list.

The free distribution scheme has affected drug retailers in the state and they say that it has serious implications on their business.

KC Bansal from State Government's Liaisoning Office says, "Drugs are being distributed by registered pharmacists after getting prescribed by the doctors through DDCs. Big pharma companies like Novartis, Glaxo and Abbott are supplying drugs for the scheme through a two-bid open transparent tendering process."

There are 28 medical college hospitals, 34 district hospitals, five satellite hospitals, 13 sub-divisional hospitals, 543 community health centres, 2112 primary health centres, 198 dispensaries and 14365 sub centres in the state.

There are around 20,000 retail establishments across the state which are closely monitored by the state drug regulators. Informs Alok Bhargava, member, Rajasthan Pharmacy Council (RPC), "The State Government has also appointed 62 drug control officers recently and 20 more would be appointed in the near future for the sake of patient safety."

The scheme is considered to be a major step towards providing medical assistance to the citizens. The state has been providing free medicines since October 2, 2011 under the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation (RMSC). The scheme has been able to address the issues like insufficient supply of drugs at several places and shortage of doctors, para-medical staff and pharmacists mainly at the primary health centres in remote villages.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the scheme at a function in Sawai Madhopur on October 2, 2011, calling upon the Medical and Health Department officials, chemists and elected representatives to take part actively in the scheme's implementation.

RPC is also contemplating to make the registrations online in order to increase registrations. According to official sources, the council has a total of 42,000 registrations done till date with 3000 registrations done on an annual basis.