The Hindu Business Line : Pune facing drugs shortage

THE massive loss suffered by pharmaceutical companies whose warehouses were submerged in water during the recent Mumbai rains, is beginning to have its fall-out with cities like Pune experiencing shortage of drugs and medications, which are supplied to the city from the metropolis.

Topping the list of medications going off the shelves is human insulin for diabetics, steroids used for a number of ailments, including asthma, and broad spectrum antibiotics, representatives of the Poona Chemists Association told Business Line on Thursday. Also on the list are pediatric prescriptions, cough expectorants, broncho-dilators, painkillers, anti-allergens and sleeping pills, according to a representative of the association.

"At the moment, there is a 10 per cent shortfall of medicines, especially of human insulin and antibiotics, but we are expecting that the companies will be able to supply us stock soon so that we are not into a major crisis," said Mr Jugal Tapadiya, Organising Secretary of the association.

Last week's torrential rains resulted in pharma companies losing medicines worth an estimated Rs 1,000 crore after stock in the warehouses of their C&F agents in Bhiwandi and in some cases Dadar and Ghatkopar, was ruined. Among the companies hit by the rains are Cipla, Ranbaxy, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, all of who have their C&F agents in Bhiwandi.

Medical practitioners in Pune, who spoke to this newspaper, expressed concern that the non-availability of antibiotics could result in the outbreak of disease/epidemic. Some of them pointed out that the situation is likely to be worse in the interior parts of the State where the monsoons have caused huge damage to life and property.

While the situation could have been much worse for the city, what has helped is the fact that companies such as Ranbaxy, Cipla, Dr Reddy's, among others, also have local depots in Pune, which have a stock of their products. Companies, which do not have their depots in the city, are now working overtime to get their medicines to the market from their warehouses in other States, including Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. While Dr Reddy's Laboratories is getting in stock for the Pune market from Hyderabad, industry sources said Abbot laboratories is working round-the-clock to arrange for supply of human insulin stock from its Ahmedabad warehouse. Pune alone requires between 5,000 and 6,000 vials of insulin in a month worth Rs 25-30 lakh.

Pune city is also developing into an alternative distribution centre for companies rushing their stock to Mumbai city, which is witnessing severe shortage of drugs/medications and also to the rest of the State. Sources at Ranbaxy said it is rushing medicines from its mother plant at Dewaas and Goa to major markets in the State for further distribution.

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