E-DRUG: Roger Bate's attacks on WHO Prequalification and generic drugs (2)
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The posting from "fellow of the American Enterprise Institute
think-tank" seems to have hidden agenda. I agree with Prof Baker
that the partisan criticism is solely aimed to target generic manufacturers of the developing world. If only the big pharma companies will ensure affordability of their produce, they will be able to ensure access to their products. Bashing the generic industry in the garb of every error committed is doing dis-service to the marginalised populations. How can errors committed by one company be used to ban other generic manufacturers? Whose interests is the "think tank" serving?
[Moderator: most multinationals also produce generics; something they do not like to talk about. Recently Sandoz generics in the US received complaints from FDA on quite serious GMP issues]
To stay enlightened, I request the learned writer to convince me with facts to prove his statement that "India already supplies 75% of the world's counterfeit and sub-standard drugs".
To say that "this scandal must be seized by governments, charities and pressure groups to impose quality control on the WHO pre-qualification list and save patients in Africa and Asia" indicates the angle, slant, colour, tint and bias of the write-up.
The expression that "impose quality control on the WHO pre-qualification list and save patients in Africa and Asia" in other words means that WHO is doing the criminal act of killing patients in Africa and Asia. I dislike the poor taste left after reading such accusation.
Dr Vijay Thawani, MD
Associate Professor in Pharmacology
Govt. Medical College, Nagpur-440 003, India.
vijaythawani@rediffmail.com
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