Dimapur, January 7 (MExN): Medical sales representatives are holding a conference in Dimapur as it seeks to “clean up” the pharmaceutical sector which is being plagued by unfair practices, black marketing of drugs and expensive essential drugs among others.
Center of Medical Sales Representatives Union is currently holding a general conference in Dimapur. The CRU is demanding “clean up” of the pharmaceutical sector ‘which has come from within the sector itself.’ The CRU (NE has sought a high-level enquiry into black-marketing, unethical trade and marketing practices by drug companies. “We strongly feel that due to unfair practices, the underprivileged could no longer afford many essential drugs and this is adversely affecting the health of society at large,” the CRU said in a statement today.
The CRU also reminded that drug companies are practicing large-scale black-marketing of drugs throughout the country. The high prices fixed by pharmaceutical companies, most of them multi-national companies, has resulted in people turning to quacks for temporary relief, the CRU lamented. This has the poor people’s health, it stated.
The CRU stated: “We want drug companies to produce essential drugs according to market requirements, removal of excise duties from essential drugs, reverting to cost-based excise duty on medicines from MRP, cap on profitability of all medicines and to revive all public sector drug companies, including vaccines producing ones.”
The medical representatives observed that a drug brought under the list of essential drugs and its price fixed, is manufactured under another name and sold at a higher price by drug companies. The loopholes in regulations are being exploited by the companies, the CRU stated.
An instance the statement cited was the stipulation of excise duty on medicines in 2007. The duty was fixed at 16% as the MRP. This is very high for most drugs instead of the 8% of the cost price, CRU said.
The welfare of medical sales representatives and their responsibilities are areas the CRU is actively involved in. Wages, conditions of professions and exploitation of the sales representatives by companies were some of the issues the CRU elaborated in its statement.
Center of Medical Sales Representatives Union is currently holding a general conference in Dimapur. The CRU is demanding “clean up” of the pharmaceutical sector ‘which has come from within the sector itself.’ The CRU (NE has sought a high-level enquiry into black-marketing, unethical trade and marketing practices by drug companies. “We strongly feel that due to unfair practices, the underprivileged could no longer afford many essential drugs and this is adversely affecting the health of society at large,” the CRU said in a statement today.
The CRU also reminded that drug companies are practicing large-scale black-marketing of drugs throughout the country. The high prices fixed by pharmaceutical companies, most of them multi-national companies, has resulted in people turning to quacks for temporary relief, the CRU lamented. This has the poor people’s health, it stated.
The CRU stated: “We want drug companies to produce essential drugs according to market requirements, removal of excise duties from essential drugs, reverting to cost-based excise duty on medicines from MRP, cap on profitability of all medicines and to revive all public sector drug companies, including vaccines producing ones.”
The medical representatives observed that a drug brought under the list of essential drugs and its price fixed, is manufactured under another name and sold at a higher price by drug companies. The loopholes in regulations are being exploited by the companies, the CRU stated.
An instance the statement cited was the stipulation of excise duty on medicines in 2007. The duty was fixed at 16% as the MRP. This is very high for most drugs instead of the 8% of the cost price, CRU said.
The welfare of medical sales representatives and their responsibilities are areas the CRU is actively involved in. Wages, conditions of professions and exploitation of the sales representatives by companies were some of the issues the CRU elaborated in its statement.
