Agartala: The state government plans to introduce generic medicines at the state’s premier GBP Hospital from next month, official sources confirmed here on Friday.
The government has already engaged Tripura Marketing Cooperative Society, a state-government runs PSU to distribute generic medicines at the GBP Hospital, said Secretary of Health and Family Welfare M. Nagraju.
Speaking to media at Civil Secretariat here, he said the Society has already inked a Delhi based generic medicines manufacturing company to receive generic medicine for distribution in the state.
In the first phase, the generic medicines will be introduced at GBP Hospital on experimental basis and it may be extended to elsewhere on the basis of outcome of the first move, he said.
As per the plan, the Society will set up two or three medicine shops to distribute generic medicines nearby GBP Hospital so that people could buy medicine easily.
“While BPL (below poverty line) families will get medicines free of cost, the APL (above poverty line) families will have to buy the medicines from open market”, M Nagraju said here.
On being asked whether generic medicines will be introduced in the IGM Hospital, Nagraju said, “It may be extended later on”. Initially, the Delhi based company will supply 200 types of generic medicines.
People would be beneficial as the price of generic medicines is less in comparison to the non-generic medicine or branded medicines.
Government doctors engaged at GBP Hospital were asked to prescribe generic medicine as much as possible while they are not bound to do the same when patents visit them at private clinics.