To suggest solution to secure pharmaceutical supply chain from spurious drugs infiltration

Abstract

According to CARE (Credit Analysis & Research) estimates, The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (IPI) is currently ranked 3rd in terms of volume and 13th in terms of value in world. The total market size is Rs. 1,233 Bn which contains domestic consumption of Rs. 600 Bn (~48.6%) and the exports market of Rs. 633 Bn (~51.4%). Indian Pharmaceutical market will grow steadily with the robust CAGR of 15.1% over the next 5 years and this growth will be driven by increase in the penetration of medical facilities, improving per capita income and rise in the health insurance coverage. However, the biggest challenge faced by the industry in the form of spurious drugs will remain the same. According to media estimates, 10-25% drugs in Indian market are spurious. 1The term ‘Spurious Drug’ has been defined under Section 17-B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, as amended by the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 1982. In nutshell, a drug shall be deemed to be spurious if it is manufactured under a name which belongs to another drug, if it is an imitation of another drug or if it has been substituted wholly or partly by another drug or if it wrongly claims to be the product of another manufacturer. Spurious drug circulation in market can lead to adverse consequences on both, drug consumer and drug manufacturer. For drug consumer, spurious drug consumption can create serious health issues and for drug manufacturer, it can hurt their revenue and baseline. There is immediate need to identify the scope and extent of this market and take effective steps to prevent it.