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Govt allows import of limited ‘same generic’ drugs
KATHMANDU, JAN 06 - Scrapping its two-year-old decision today, the government lifted restriction imposed on the import of some "same generic" drugs. With the latest decision, more companies in the country will be importing the medicines with similar composition.
Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Bhupendra Bahadur Thapa, Acting Director General of the Department of Drugs Administration (DDA), said that the government decided in favour of allowing more than five companies for the import of "same generic" drugs into the country.
The government, two years back, had limited the import of similarly composed drugs only to five companies with a view to restrict the massive inflow of sub-standard and inferior drugs.
"After a series of discussion, the government was convinced that lifting restriction over the imports of same generic drugs would leave the consumers with more options," said he. "Apart of that, the drugs market would be further competitive."
Along with the lifting of restriction on imports, the government has also decided to open the production of similarly composed pharmaceuticals by domestic drugs manufacturing companies that currently has been limited to ten.
Thapa told The Kathmandu Post that the decision of further opening the drugs market, making it more liberal, could ultimately facilitate the consumers. "The drugs market would witness a price-cut in some selected drugs, as the domestic market would be further competitive."
The government’s intention to revoke its earlier restriction comes at a time when the country is very close to accede the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO has already accepted Nepal’s protocol of accession and has allowed the deadline of 31st March 2004 to ratify the membership.
Domestic drug manufacturers, however, are sceptical to welcome the latest move by the government. A senior member of Association of Pharmaceuticals Producers of Nepal (APPON) told The Kathmandu Post that the latest decision of revoking the restriction of producing same generic drugs would spell disasters for the consumers given the current weak market inspection on the quality of drugs.
Instead, the government should have worked to strengthen the quality monitoring mechanism of the country, said he. "Many substandard and inferior foreign products are making their way to the country without any restriction. And this is very unfortunate that the government plans to allow more when the market is already saturated."
However, Thapa declined that the latest government’s move would do any harm to domestic drugs manufacturers.
"Even if we are inviting more drugs into the country, we will only allow to import to the products that are recognised by international quality standard," said he.
Only foreign products that have acquired quality certificate from the World Health Organisation –Good Manufacturing Practice (WHO-GMP) are allowed to enter the country as per the recent government’s decision.
The latest government statistics reveals that the domestic drug market has a turnover of over Rs 6 billion offering more than 7,000 brands of drugs to consumers.Posted on: 2004-01-07 03:03
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