Under a strong initiative taken by the Haryana drugs control administration, the Gurgaon Chemists & Druggists Association (GCDA) has decided to open separate counters for generic medicines in all their pharmacies.

The move to popularise generic drugs through private medical stores will be expanded to all the 21 districts in the state within two years. Separate counters will be opened in all the medical stores exclusively for generics. Special instructions will be given to all the manufacturing companies to print separate labels with the actual prices of the generic medicines rather than pasting a higher MRP label, said Dr G L Singhal, director of state drugs control administration.

With this Haryana state DCA will become the first enforcement authority in India to advocate for generic medicines dispensing through private pharmacies, he claimed. According to him, generic medicines are as good as branded ones as far as quality is concerned. Besides they are available at reasonable prices compared to branded drugs. Dr Singhal added that all the government healthcare institutions in Haryana are dispensing only generic versions.

With the support of Gurgaon Chemists and Druggists Association, the zonal drugs control officer, Lalit Kumar Goel, has called a meeting of retail chemists and doctors working in government hospitals and members of IMA to discuss the supply scheme. In the meeting twenty five retail chemists assured that they would promote generic products through their retail outlets. The vice-president of GCDA, Charanjit Arora said he would soon open a full-fledged generic medicine shop in the city to dispense only generic drugs. The association has requested the civil hospital authorities in the city for a space to start a generic store.

While inaugurating the meeting, Dr. Singal said although India is the largest supplier of generic medicines to the world and every third tablet used in other countries of the world is from India, the poor patients of India are forced to take costly branded drugs.

“In Haryana we are advocating for generic medicines to the poor patients. Doctors are also cooperating with the department and supporting our efforts. They will prescribe only the name of the molecules. A happy thing is that the chemists association is also cooperating with the move and ready to provide medicines at reasonable prices”, said Dr Singhal.

Dr Singal had done Ph.D on a research project of branded generic medicines and launched campaign for propagation of generics in the country last year, said Lalit Kumar Goel, Gurgaon DCO.

Dr. Suman Dahiya, president of Gurgaon unit of I.M.A said they will ensure that generic medicines are prescribed to patients by the members of IMA.

Dr.Pushpa Bishnoi, civil surgeon of Gurgaon government hospital, G.S. Pasricha, president of chemist association Gurgaon zone, Manmohan Taneja, Amandeep, Rakesh Dahiya, Parjinder Singh and Gurcharn have addressed the audience.