-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government announced on Friday that 'Janaushadhi' stores will be opened in every block to make low-priced generic medicines available across the country. The scheme is expected to create a "silent revolution" in achieving health security by providing affordable and quality medicines for all. Union minister for chemicals & fertilizers Ananth Kumar said the government plans to open such stores so that doctors and pharmacists cannot push...

-The Hindu The core issues are affordable access to medicines and their rational prescription and use The Medical Council of India (MCI) issued a circular on April 21 drawing attention to clause 1.5 of its regulations regarding the professional conduct of doctors: “Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription of drugs.” Further, the circular said,...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: The World Health Organisation has announced a plan to approve generic versions of two expensive bio-therapeutic anti-cancer molecules in an effort to make them available to low and middle-income countries. It said it would invite manufacturers to submit applications for pre-qualification of biologically similar versions of rituximab, used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and trastuzumab, used to treat breast cancer. The pre-qualification process is a mechanism...

-TheWire.in The government’s premier policy-formulating agency recently recommended measures to deregulate the pharmaceutical sector and make essential medicines more expensive. New Delhi: Even as the prime minister repeatedly expresses his commitment to providing affordable medicines in the country, it appears that the NITI Aayog and the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) may be working in an opposing direction. Documents between October 2016 and April 2017 show the intention of various government arms to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has asked its state and local units to raise funds from member doctors to organise conferences and functions instead of seeking sponsorship. According to IMA office-bearers, the decision was taken at a meeting on Wednesday in view of allegations about pharmaceutical companies and the device industry shaping the content and style of medical conferences. "If doctors want to meet at a...