DCA In Telangana Fails To Control Black Marketers
Hyderabad, 21 July 2020:
The state drug control administration (DCA) in Telangana has failed in its efforts to control the black marketers and pharmacy stores which are selling essential anti-viral drugs like remdesivir and tocilizumab, which are being sold at exorbitant rates than the stipulated selling price by the government.
Even though the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had directed the Telangana government to set up a separate cell to monitor the prices of essential drugs being sold in the state, the state DCA has not taken any step with regard to setting up an exclusive cell citing staff crunch. Because of this, now the pharmacies, black marketers and the distributors of the drugs are creating a situation of shortage of essential medicines and selling these COVID-19 drugs at exorbitant prices taking the advantage of tremendous demand for these medicines in the market.
Some healthcare experts are alleging that it is because of failure of the TSDCA that the retailers, wholesalers’ along with distributors and even some of the pharma companies are deliberately creating an artificial shortage of essential medicines during this healthcare emergency situation and selling the available stocks in black market at very heavy price.
“Even though there are no perfect drugs available in the market to treat or cure the COVID-19, the ICMR has allowed physicians to use remdesivir and tocilizumab anti viral drugs on patients suffering with serious COVID-19 illness on experimental basis that too with a restricted use under the supervision of an expert doctor. However with huge spike in COVID cases in the state, the demand for these drugs has increased manifold and taking advantage of this, many retailers and even the wholesale distributors are selling it in black market with exorbitant prices and fleecing the patients. In fact this is where the drug control administration must have acted to contain the black marketing of these essential drugs through regular inspections. However, it has miserably failed,” said a senior member of Telangana State Pharmacy Council.
Healthcare experts are of the view that remdesivir and tocilizumab are anti-viral drugs that restrict the growth of the virus in the human body and act as immune modulators. According to doctors and leading healthcare experts these medicines have been found effective in keeping the patient’s condition stable for some more time and restrict the use of ventilators and the death rates can also be reduced considerably.
The cost of 100 mg remdesivir injection per dose is set at Rs. 4,000 to 5,600 depending upon the brand of the company. However, some people who are taking advantage of the prevailing healthcare situation, it is learnt the same drug per dose is being sold at anywhere between Rs. 28,000 to Rs. 35,000 per dose. Similar is the case with tocilizumab medicine, wherein a patient with severe condition is given one dose and if needed two dose within 24 hours, but as per the retail price one dose of this medicine costs Rs. 36,000 and if in case two doses are needed then one has to shell out Rs. 72,000 as per the government rate. However, in the black market the same medicine is available at Rs. 3.60 lakh for two doses.
It is alleged that even though some Hyderabad based and Gujarat based companies are manufacturing these medicines they are preferring to sell it outside rather than supplying within the country. It is also alleged that the pharma companies are deliberately producing these medicines in limited quantities because of which there is a huge scarcity in the market, which is being taken advantage by some retail and wholesale pharmacies who are selling it at exorbitant rates.
In view of this, healthcare experts are pointing out the state DCA must act strictly against the pharmacies and wholesalers who are stocking the essential medicines and creating artificial scarcity and selling the medicines in the black market to earn huge profits taking advantage of the pandemic. Pharmabiz