The Punjab health department has procured medicines from high ranking companies with additional requirements, according to a spokesman of the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHCD).
In a statement issued here, he clarified the purchase of the same medicines on high prices as compared to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The spokesman said that the KP government purchased Diclofenac sodium 50mg from Danas Pharmaceutical, whereas the Punjab health Department purchased this medicine from Novartis Pharma, with brand name Voltral, as per IMS ranking of Danas at 123 while Novartis ranked 8.
Similarly, KP government purchased Omeprazole 20mg from Rock Pharmaceutical, whereas Punjab government purchased the medicine from Ferozsons Labs, brand name Omega. The spokesman said that Rock Pharma was not ranked by IMS, whereas Ferozesons Labs was ranked at number 10. He further said that medicine for hepatitis-C patients, Sofosbuvir, was procured by the P&SHCD from the company Getz Pharma with additional requirements, i.e. 2D data matrix barcode (drugs identification online system), courier services having tracing facility, one month patient course in separate pack, international testing from WHO prequalified labs at the expense of supplier and green packing defacing requirement.
The spokesman denied that the P&SHCD procured Infusion Moxifloxacin 400mg250ml. For item 6 Cap Tranexamic Acid 500 mg, the spokesman said that Punjab’s rate was at par with KP, despite the fact Punjab procured medicine with additional requirements, i.e. scattered delivery at 172 destinations and, secondly, international testing from WHO prequalified labs at the expense of the supplier.
The spokesman said that the P&SHCD, on the directions of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was providing best quality medicines in the hospitals and the department is going to purchase medicines worth Rs 4 billion from different multinational companies in near future.