Warning on Scarcity of Drugs and Medical Devices

Recently, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has warned of a nationwide shortage of medicines and medical devices.

It has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to take immediate steps to help the drug makers resume production under the current lockdown.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) had also written to all State Chief Secretaries on the problems faced by the pharma firms.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is entrusted with ensuring the seamless production and distribution of critical life-saving medicines in the wake of the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
On an average, drug and medical device makers are functioning at only 20%-30% of their full capacity during the lockdown.
Production units engaged in making essential commodities, including medicines, vaccines, masks and their ancillaries have been exempted from the restrictions imposed as per the national lockdown.
If the production will not reach the pre-lockdown level soon, it would lead to shortages of medicines and medical devices in the coming weeks.
Both in the public and private sector, the seamless functioning of pharma manufacturing and distribution units is crucial in dealing with the crisis.
A helpline has been created for pharma producers’ operational complaints, which are also being referred to State Drug Controllers for suitable intervention.

Export of Indian pharmaceuticals offer a better price in global markets which can lead to disproportionate shortages in the domestic market.
Restrictions on mobility and production in several states.
Unavailability of labour, transport and courier services.
- Reverse migration (from cities to sub-urban/rural areas) of labour and local workers.
- Lack of public transport options and the fear of police action.
- Drivers have left their trucks on highways fearing stoppage of vehicles on State, district and city borders and lack of food and diesel on the route.
Closure of ancillary industries which are not being considered essential by few local administrations.
- They supply packaging material, excipients (required for tablets and capsules manufacturing), utility consumables like briquettes/gases (required to run boilers) and spare parts.

Suitable measures are needed to reduce the export and focus more on domestic needs.
State and district administrations need to be sensitised so that they can proactively fulfil the needs of pharma units to function fully.
Allowance to the pharma industry to ferry back their contractual workers from their native places and make courier services fully functional in metro, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
Drivers with commercial licences should be allowed to move with or without a vehicle by treating it as a ‘pass’ during the lockdown.
The apprehensions of the drivers need to be addressed and they also need to be motivated and incentivised.

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