NPPA's Pharma Jan Samadhan scheme gets good response, gets 295 complaints since launch in March

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)'s much publicized ‘Pharma Jan Samadhan’ scheme, launched for redressal of consumers’ grievances relating to pricing and availability of medicines, has registered a total of 295 complaints since its launch in March this year.

According to a source, a total of 295 cases have been registered with the NPPA since its launch and the drug price regulator has disposed off all the cases so far.  A total of 12 complaints were registered by the patients or consumers for overpricing, while 134 complaints were registered by the consumers for shortage of medicines.  Another 147 complaints have been registered with the NPPA under this ‘Pharma Jan Samadhan’ scheme for refusal to sell and two cases were registered for without price approval.

The web portal Pharma Jan Samadhan was launched on March 12, 2015 for speedy and effective complaint redressal system regarding, availability of medicines, overpricing of medicines, sale of ‘new drugs’ without prior price approval, and refusal of supply or sale of medicines.

The scheme is a web enabled system for redressal of consumers’ grievances. It has put in place a speedy and effective complaint redressal system with respect to availability and pricing of medicines. It would serve as a robust e-governance tool for protection of consumers’ interests through effective implementation of the Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013.

The ‘Pharma Jan Samadhan’ will provide consumers and others with an on-line facility to redress their complaints relating to over-pricing of medicines, non-availability or shortage of medicines, sale of new medicines without prior price approval of NPPA, and refusal of supply for sale of any medicine without good and sufficient reason.

As per the objective of the scheme, the NPPA would initiate action on any complaint within 48 hours of its receipt.   The scheme was inaugurated in March this year by Union minister of chemicals & fertilizers Ananth Kumar.

As the pharma industry stands on three pillars of quality, availability and affordability, this pharma-literacy initiative would create awareness among the people and would act as a deterrent against blackmarketing, spurious medicines and inflated cost of drugs.

Source: Pharmabiz