Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.
1) The move of the government to ensure registered medical practitioners dispense only generic medicine will make them easily accessible but the lack of regulation may play killjoy. Critically analyse.(250 words)
Why this question:
The Central Government is considering amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945 to ensure that registered medical practitioners dispense only generic medicines.
Demand of the question:
One has to explain what are Generic drugs, their significance, concerns, usage and efforts made by the government to promote them.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgement.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction
State the recent step taken by the govt. to amend the Act – It is now proposed that registered medical practitioners shall supply generic medicines only and physicians samples shall be supplied free of cost.
Body
- Start by explaining What is a Generic Medicine? – Generic medicines are unbranded medicines which are equally safe and having the same efficacy as that of branded medicines in terms of their therapeutic value. The prices of generic medicines are much cheaper than their branded equivalent.
- The answer must focus on the challenge front in terms of lack of regulatory framework as to what factors despite making it compulsory can still make the usage of generic drugs less affordable/accessible.
- Discuss the fundamental areas of concern, then move on to explain the efforts made by govt. in this direction.
Conclusion
Conclude with way forward.
