In this series of blog posts, I have described the challenges with the proposed simplistic approach to make drugs affordable, including the nomenclature we use, the factors confounding the problem and the difficulties we face with the proposed solution in the long term. Since this is a problem we created with decades of neglect of our healthcare systems, it is going to take at least half of that time to undo the damage we have caused.

In this post, we propose a small step which empowers the patient to make the right choices for herself. Prashant Reddy, who helped me with my PIL and I wrote an opinion about this in a recent op-ed. The conversation on affordability has been hijacked (and rightfully so) by two specific issues. Access and Quality. A cursory scan of the reporting on this topic for the last week will show anecdotes of lack of access in many cases. While that is an important aspect of this solution, for now, lets focus on quality and we will come back to access another time.

One approach to allaying the fears about quality of drug supply is to enable the patient to verify that the medicine he is dispensed has been checked for therapeutic efficacy.  We already have such a tool in the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI).  The idea behind establishing this database was similar to what the US does to promote transparency, make manufacturers register their planned clinical studies. This accomplishes two objectives. If the study fails, the pharma company cannot hide the data forever.  Pharmaceutical companies were notorious for publishing positive studies and not disclosing studies that failed. This addresses that issue. Someone can look up the study registration and ask the company to publish what it found at a future date. Second, it provides an effective platform for patients seeking experimental therapy to enroll into clinical studies. Now, let us see how we can use this tool in the current context.

The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) has argued that their products have been tested for efficacy and safety against their innovator counterparts. Their argument is that the rest of the (unbranded) drug supply has never been; therefore, it may not be effective therapeutically. Let us ask them to provide these BE studies and their respective study reports to CDSCO. Let the CDSCO verify that they have in fact conducted proper BE studies on their product and if so, allow these member IPA companies to register these studies retrospectively with the CTRI. For every study that the CDSCO verifies as properly done, let it issue some kind of logo or an image to the manufacturer, which can be printed on the packaging that both the pharmacist at the dispensing counter and the patient can easily read. Presence of such a logo will confirm that this specific formulation has been verified for therapeutic efficacy. For those manufacturers who fall into what the IPA says supply the remainder of the drug supply, the presumption is that they have never conducted clinical studies. If they have, let them follow the same process; if they have not, let them register new studies in the CTRI and conduct these studies and secure such a logo.

This is a simple and cost effective approach to addressing the issue of quality. It inspires confidence in us, the citizens that someone has checked and verified the formulation we are being dispensed. It addresses a key issue among the medical fraternity. And most importantly, this can be implemented quickly. The IPA says their products are equivalent, lets start there. We will at least know that 15% of our drug supply has been verified as therapeutically effective to begin with. This approach provides a powerful differentiator to those companies that actually invest in building quality systems. It empowers the patient to make informed choices.

Now, the only drawback to this approach is the integrity of the regulator, CDSCO. History shows that it has not always acted in public interest. There needs to be some independent oversight of this process to ensure that when it evaluates retrospective studies from any manufacturer, whether a member of the IPA or an unbranded one, it does it based only on Science and not other influencing factors.