The Hindu Business Line : Drug cos asked to ensure supply of medicines to J&K

Mumbai, Nov. 17 A shortage of anti-diabetes and anti-rabies medicines in Srinagar and the valley area of Jammu and Kashmir prompted the Centre to ask drug-makers to ensure that medicines are made available in the region.

The last few months had seen supplies to the region being disrupted, pharma industry representatives told Business Line, in what was an aftermath of the Amarnath land-related row and the road blocks witnessed during that period.

In its letter last month, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority told drug companies to ensure the availability of diabetic drugs, among other medicines, to the region. The Jammu and Kashmir Government too wrote to some drug companies asking them to make sure that supply of medicines to the State was not affected.

“Man-made” shortages

While there is no shortage of supplies on the part of drug companies or at the depots where medicines are stocked, constraints have arisen because of “man-made” reasons, resulting from internal unresolved issues within the State, said Mr Suresh Kapoor, with the Jammu and Kashmir Chemists and Druggists Association.

Pharma-company representatives said shortages were witnessed as traders from Kashmir did not want to pick up stocks from Jammu, a reaction to the earlier road blocks that had put pressure on supplies to the valley. And when drug companies sought to address the issue by sending medicines straight into Kashmir from alternative inventory hubs, it raised the hackles of stockists in Jammu, several industry representatives confirmed, on conditions of anonymity.

Companies across the board, including Lupin, Cipla and Glenmark, to name a few, supply to the region, while the diabetes-segment in particular is addressed by drug-majors including Eli Lilly, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Shreya Life Sciences, Torrent and USV, industry representatives said.

However, industry representatives were not able to explain why diabetes and anti-rabies drugs were singled out for mention by the Centre.

Distribution channels

Mr Kapoor pointed out that the situation in the State could be resolved only if drug companies stick to the normal channels of distribution.

Admitting that there were disruptions in the region, the former head of a pharma industry association said drug companies had extended themselves to make sure that supplies were not hit. In the case of diabetes medicines, where it was critical to stick to the regimen prescribed by the doctor, he said, drug companies would fly in the supplies if required.

Validating this, an Eli Lilly source said: “For a brief period when there was total breakdown in transportation between Jammu and the valley, we supplied Insulin by courier under cold chain. To the trade and end patient, there was no breakage in supplies at any point.”