NELLORE: Lockdown has resulted in price spiral of not only essential commodities, but also generic medicines. Medical shops offering discount on drugs have stopped it abruptly citing lockdown. Generic medicines, which are affordable to poor and middle class people, are reportedly being sold at higher prices. It may be mentioned here that the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) have set up medical shops in the city to sell generic medicines for the benefit of poor and middle class people.
Generic medicines are usually sold at 50-60 per cent less than MRP. After observing the huge response to generic medicines, some druggists have reportely started selling them at higher prices. As a result, consumers have to shell out more even for generic medicines. There are around 1,000 medical shops in the city. The number of medical shops selling such medicines has increased in recent times.
Popular pharmacies offer 10-15 per cent price discount on medicines depending on the volume. The scenario has completely changed now. Some druggists are maintaining that they are not getting adequate stock of medicines from pharmaceutical companies and distributors due to lockdown. Even though patients are not visiting hospitals for treatment due to lockdown, they are contacting doctors through helpline and purchasing medicines in the open market.
The spiralling prices of medicines have hit the common people. “Now, transporters are charging more due to lockdown, which forced us to withdraw price discount on medicines. In fact, customers are also not insisting on generic medicines.
They are adjusting with whatever medicines available close to their place whether they are branded or generic unmindful of the price due to lockdown,” said Srinath, a druggist of Pogathota. A senior official from the Drug Control Department, said, “Action will be initiated against druggists if they sell medicine at exorbitant prices. The sale of medicines is being closely monitored to ensure that customers are not fleeced by druggists during lockdown.”