Lok Sabha Question No. 5060 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-16
Subject: Free Distribution of Life Saving and Generic Medicines
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: REKHA ARUN VERMA, ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5060 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16 TH DECEMBER , 2016

## FREE DISTRIBUTION OF LIFE SAVING AND GENERIC MEDICINES

## 5060. SHRIMATI REKHA VERMA: SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government proposes to distribute life saving drugs and generic medicines free of cost to enhance healthcare services;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the financial and operational provision for the same;

(c)  whether  the  Government  proposes to  provide  all  drugs/drug  formulations included  in  the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) under the said scheme;

- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the measures being taken by the Government to ensure quality, safety norms and standards of the medicines?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

(a) & (b): Public Health being a state subject, it is for the States/UTs to draw up such plans  as  per  their  need.  Under  the  National  Health  Mission  (NHM),  financial and  technical support is provided to the States/UTs for stren gthening their healthcare delivery system including support for provision of essential drugsfree of cost to those who access public health facilities. An incentive of upto 5% additional funding (over and above the normal allocation of the under the NHM is provided to those states that effectively implement free ess ial medicines initiative . All  the  States /UTs have reported  that  they  have notified  free  drug  policy in  their respective States/UTs .

(c) & (d): The  National  Free  Drugs ServiceInitiative  under  the  National  Health  Mission does not specify the number of essential drugs to be provided free of cost. Public health being State subject, t he number of essential drugsto be providedfree of cost is decided by the States and varies fro m State to State. However, the Ministry has provided illustrative list of essent medicines that should be provided at Sub Centres, Primary Health Centres, Community Hea Centres and District Hospitals.

(e): The steps taken by the Government to check Spurious/Sub - Standard Drugs in the country include:

- Amending the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 by the Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008 to provide for more stringent penalties for manufacture and trade of s purious and adulterated drugs.
- Making provisions in the Drugs & Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008 for setting up o Special designated courts for speedy disposal of cases to deal with the cases of o under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
- Issuance of guidelines for taking action on samples of drugs declared spurious or no standard  quality  in  the  light  of  enhanced  penalties  under  the  Drugs  &  Cosmet (Amendment) Act, 2008 on the Website of CDSCO for purpose of uniform implementation of Drugs and C osmetics Act in the Country.
- Initiation  of  Whistle  Blower  Scheme  to  encourage  vigilant  Public  Parti cipation  in  the dir ection of Movement of spurious drugs in the country.
- Providing assistance for upgrading of testing facilities and establishing new drug testing laboratories under the Capacity Building project through Wold Bank, so as to enhance the capacity of the laboratories to test large number of samples.
- Overseas inspection of drug manufacturing sites to ensure quality of imported bulk d
- Amend ment of Schedule m to the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, pertaining to Goo Manufacturing Practices in 2001 to make it at par with the international standard mandatory for the manufacturers of drugs to comply with requirements of this sched fo r quality control of the drugs manufactured by them.
- Introduction of Good laboratory Practices .
- State  have  been  advised  to  incorporate  adequate  quality  assurance  safeguards  w procuring drugs.