Why public health facilities are failing to meet demand for generic drugs

Over 35% of the generic and branded drugs were purchased from private facilities across all survey sites

As India readies itself for Ayushman Bharat, the national health protection scheme covering primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, a study from Chhattisgarh reveals poor availability of generic drugs in the state’s public hospitals.

Chhattisgarh had announced in 2013 a policy to guarantee access to free generic medicines in all its public health facilities. Doctors at these facilities were also mandated to prescribe only generic medicines in the essential drug list (EDL) for patients receiving treatment there. Essential medicines “satisfy the priority health care needs of the population”, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). The