Ensuring the timely availability of medicines, especially antibiotics, and keeping a strict watch on the quality of medicines being disbursed at pharmacies, are among the top recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Welfare in its report on the functioning of the Central Government Health Scheme, recently presented in Parliament. It also urged a time-bound expansion of the CGHS network, especially in States and Union Territories where facilities available under the scheme are sparse.
The panel, headed by Rajya Sabha member Bhubaneswar Kalita, noted that there are complaints regarding the quality of medicines disbursed at the pharmacy counter of CGHS dispensaries. Stressing that the quality of medicines is of paramount importance while providing healthcare services, and that complaints in this regard should be taken seriously, the panel recommended that the Ministry establish a mechanism to ensure rigorous testing of medicines.
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