APMSRU
Andhra Pradesh Medical & Sales Representatives Union (APMSRU), in a resolution, has urged the Chief
Minister, K Rosaiah, to take steps to control the pharmaceutical companies in adopting unethical means for promoting their products across the state.
Pressed by avaricious attitude, the resolution said, the pharma companies are crossing all the limits in
complying with the ethical norms and are taking advantage of the ineffective monitoring system over their
functioning. Government should take appropriate measures to investigate the operations of the pharmaceutical manufacturing and trading companies and the erring companies should be given deserving punishment as per the law. APMSRU has unanimously passed a resolution in this regard in its state working committee meeting held last week in Hyderabad.
The Union informed the chief minister that the pharma industry’s unethical trade practices include pushing products without valid documents, false sale in the names of doctors and institutions, providing eleventh hour extra free offers, mid night sales closing in the months end, and promoting drugs with cash incentives to fake dealers. According to them the modus operandi for these fake operations differs from company to company. The fake dealers offer more benefits to the retailers than the authorized dealer of a company usually pays.
The Union asked the government to be cautious about the unfair practices in the market place as the entire process ultimately reaches into the hands of anti social elements that are waiting for a chance to take advantage of such situations for promoting their fake and spurious drugs. They warned that if this practice continues, the trade will eventually fall in to the hands of a drug mafia causing serious concern of the health
of the people.
Further the resolution sought the Chief Minister to equip the monitoring agency with more qualified personnel and facilities. Lack of qualified and experienced staff and testing laboratories help the fake dealers to boost their bogus business. So the controlling mechanism should be strengthened. Speaking to Pharmabiz, AG Rajmohan, general secretary of APMSRU, said since pharmaceutical business is directly related to the health of the people, the business should be transparent. The government should evolve a method of ensuring public confidence with the industry by giving them access to monitor the functioning of the traders. He said this can be done by establishing a committee with persons or organizations like consumer forums engaged in health related activities, with powers to monitor, investigate
Posted by APMSRU