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Patients compelled to buy medicines at exorbitant prices What happened to hyped Drug Policy? 8/31/2015 12:27:14 AM Nitesh Sangral Early Times Report Jammu, Aug 30: Much hyped Drug Policy is still a distant dream for the poor and needy patients of Jammu and Kashmir as many believe it was swept under the carpet owing to the influence of strong drug lobby that operates in the state. Pertinently, the drug policy for the state was sanctioned in 2012 to ensure availability of quality drugs to patients in all government hospitals and check influx of spurious drugs besides enforcing rational prescription. Reliable Sources in health department told Early Times that many times, the concerned officials of the hospitals, NGO's and other organizations had requested and called on higher ups of the health Department but to little avail. "some officials of the department have nexus with the pharma companies and they earn huge profits by helping or boosting the business of private chemist shops in the state, "they claimed. They further said that the government of India had sent many reminders to the State Health Department to provide better health care facilities to poor and needy people of the State but owing to lackadaisical approach of officials of concerned department, it failed to implement and provide cheaper drugs to the poor and needy patients. Sources claimed that the poor patients- who couldn't afford costly medicines- are compelled to purchase costly medicines from the private shops and government hospitals are boosting the business of private chemist shops. "The government has failed to implement state drug policy which was aimed to make drugs available to poor in all government hospitals in the State, "said president of DAK Nisar-ul-Hassan, adding due to non-implementation of drug policy deprives patients from fundamental right of access to medicines which are essential component of health care. Commissioner Secretary of Health Department MK Bhandari did not respond to repeated calls for a comment.   Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network     Comment on this Story

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