Treat spurious drug-makers as criminals, say experts

Toufiq Rashid
New Delhi, August 1: The pharma industry has come out strongly against the spurious drugs menace —wanting Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj to live up to her words of advocating death penalty for those involved in the trade.

‘‘The figures are frightening: 35 per cent of the world’s spurious drugs are produced in India (according to WHO) and the fake drugs market is estimated to be worth Rs 4,000 crore — about 20 per cent of the total drugs market in India. One out of every four medicines in the city is spurious. This needs to be taken seriously now,’’ said Harinder Sikka, senior president (Corporate Affairs), Nicholas Piramal

‘‘Presently, the spurious drugs’ business does not constitute a criminal offence, therefore the offenders get away easily. Though there are regulatory mechanisms, the entry barriers or checks for this industry are low. And add to that free entry of Small Scale Industries sector into this industry. Almost anybody can set up a pharmaceutical unit anywhere,’’ said Ranjit Sahane, CEO, Novartis.

According to him, manufacturing and selling medicines was never this easy.‘‘All this has come a full circle today and with the drug regulation what it is, little wonder that many marginal and small players are finding it easier to substitute fake for real,’’ he added.

The Confederation of Indian Industries, however, recommends strict action against the offenders. ‘‘We recommend making and selling drugs a non-bailable criminal offence and setting up of an autonomous national authority on spurious drugs, to function within the next 12 months,’’ said Sikka.

According to him, attacking the distribution chain, specially the chemist who has a 5,000 per cent margin in this trade, is most important. Medical practitioners agree. ‘‘The registration of a chemist and tracing the quacks is one of the most important link in the chain,’’ says Dr Anil Bansal, President, Delhi Medical Association.