<p>Patients in the City are facing a severe shortage of at least 886 basic essential drugs leading to non-availability of nearly 4,000 brands of medicines.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The City has been witnessing the paucity since June owing to new Drug Price Control Order norms that led to change in prices of medicines.<br /><br />The government ordered a price reduction (Drug Price Control Order) in 348 molecules (components of drugs) that are considered essential and in turn increased the price of the non- scheduled ones.<br /><br />While a short deadline of 45 days was given to the manufacturers to repack the medicines - 886 drugs - with new prices printed on them, they found it a Herculean task to complete even after four months. Result, consumers are now at the receiving end.<br /><br />Raveesha from Srirampuram has take her daily dosage of Gardinal, used for treating epilepsy. “Every time my medicines are over, I have to search in at least a couple of shops as they tell me they are out of stock.” <br /><br />Chemist P Manjunath of Guru Pharmacy said “though there is a demand for medicines to be taken on a daily basis, we are unable to deliver them as the chemists’ margin has been reduced.” There are also repeated complaints from patients about the non-availability of these medicines, he added.<br /><br />The medicines include those used to treat thyroid, blood pressure and epilepsy. <br />Insulin (used for diabetes), Gardinal and Eptoin (used to treat blood pressure), Atorvastin (used to treat cholesterol) etc, are likely to be unavailable in a week’s time, according to N R Kamath, a city-based chemist. <br /><br />“For me, it is a necessary to take Losar 50 for blood pressure. I travel all the way from Yeshwantpur to RT Nagar to purchase this medicine,” said Kumar who has now stocked the medicine. <br /><br />There is also shortage of wide range of antibiotics including Augumentin used to treat complications such as pneumonia, sinusitis and bronchitis. <br /><br />“There is no immediate problem as doctors are prescribing alternative medicines. Once the stock is over, the problem is bound to arise,” said a chemist from Hitesh Medicals.<br /><br />Karnataka Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association President Guddodji said they were unhappy as their margin has not been take into consideration by the policy makers. <br /><br />Reduced margin<br /><br />“The manufacturers have got at least 200 per cent increase in profit for non-scheduled drugs which has helped them make up for the price reduction for scheduled drugs,” he said and added that retailers’ margin had been reduced by nearly four per cent. <br /><br />According to the norms set, chemists ought to get a 16 per cent margin, while in the current situation they are getting 3.2 per cent less. <br /><br />However, Drug Controller Dr B R Jayashetty denies that problems of this sort exist. “Chemists are business-minded people. You cannot go by their words,” he said adding that if there was any such problem, people should approach the officials.</p>
<p>Patients in the City are facing a severe shortage of at least 886 basic essential drugs leading to non-availability of nearly 4,000 brands of medicines.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The City has been witnessing the paucity since June owing to new Drug Price Control Order norms that led to change in prices of medicines.<br /><br />The government ordered a price reduction (Drug Price Control Order) in 348 molecules (components of drugs) that are considered essential and in turn increased the price of the non- scheduled ones.<br /><br />While a short deadline of 45 days was given to the manufacturers to repack the medicines - 886 drugs - with new prices printed on them, they found it a Herculean task to complete even after four months. Result, consumers are now at the receiving end.<br /><br />Raveesha from Srirampuram has take her daily dosage of Gardinal, used for treating epilepsy. “Every time my medicines are over, I have to search in at least a couple of shops as they tell me they are out of stock.” <br /><br />Chemist P Manjunath of Guru Pharmacy said “though there is a demand for medicines to be taken on a daily basis, we are unable to deliver them as the chemists’ margin has been reduced.” There are also repeated complaints from patients about the non-availability of these medicines, he added.<br /><br />The medicines include those used to treat thyroid, blood pressure and epilepsy. <br />Insulin (used for diabetes), Gardinal and Eptoin (used to treat blood pressure), Atorvastin (used to treat cholesterol) etc, are likely to be unavailable in a week’s time, according to N R Kamath, a city-based chemist. <br /><br />“For me, it is a necessary to take Losar 50 for blood pressure. I travel all the way from Yeshwantpur to RT Nagar to purchase this medicine,” said Kumar who has now stocked the medicine. <br /><br />There is also shortage of wide range of antibiotics including Augumentin used to treat complications such as pneumonia, sinusitis and bronchitis. <br /><br />“There is no immediate problem as doctors are prescribing alternative medicines. Once the stock is over, the problem is bound to arise,” said a chemist from Hitesh Medicals.<br /><br />Karnataka Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association President Guddodji said they were unhappy as their margin has not been take into consideration by the policy makers. <br /><br />Reduced margin<br /><br />“The manufacturers have got at least 200 per cent increase in profit for non-scheduled drugs which has helped them make up for the price reduction for scheduled drugs,” he said and added that retailers’ margin had been reduced by nearly four per cent. <br /><br />According to the norms set, chemists ought to get a 16 per cent margin, while in the current situation they are getting 3.2 per cent less. <br /><br />However, Drug Controller Dr B R Jayashetty denies that problems of this sort exist. “Chemists are business-minded people. You cannot go by their words,” he said adding that if there was any such problem, people should approach the officials.</p>