The past year was a year of change and it presented its share of challenges, along with some opportunities. The ‘new’ government is beginning to make its presence felt with creative initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Swachch Bharat Abhiyan’ good ideas that are gaining momentum. The country, investors, businesses, households and the common man are all full of hope. Each of us believes that the Government will fulfill its promises of good governance, transparency in policy-making and a corruption-free pro-growth agenda. As part of India’s pharmaceutical industry, I can say that India is now a brand in pharmaceuticals and, alongside our Government, we must carry our share of responsibility towards improving the health of our nation.
Encouragement for Innovation: We hope the new National IPR Policy will lead to efficient and transparent systems to support industries in all sectors that deal with intellectual property. A robust IPR environment will foster innovation and encourage new drug discovery in the best interest of the patients of our country. We need to convince society at large that respect for IPR is not detrimental for access to life-saving medicines and that both can mutually co-exist.
Healthcare Access and Affordability: Much has been said on this in the past year. Today, India has one of the highest disease burdens in the world. We are hopeful that the Government will prioritise Healthcare, strengthen infrastructure and focus on skill development. Government must increase Healthcare budgets and recognise that access to healthcare extends beyond the cost of medicine, to the proximity, quality and functionality of the infrastructure that supports that access. More than prices, the barrier to access is the inability to pay out-of-pocket and the lack of insurance cover. Implementing the promised Universal Health Assurance programme will benefit our patients and increase access. OPPI and the pharma Industry will come forward willingly, to bring about access to affordable medicines.
Quality and Safety: Patients must be guaranteed safe and responsible healthcare and the entire healthcare eco system must comply with the highest ethical standards in manufacturing, marketing and prescribing. Government’s action in formalising the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) as a voluntary code, effective January 1, 2015, augurs well indeed. This is a long-awaited and meaningful step towards a better and more ethical healthcare industry.
While we continue to face our challenges, the opportunities before us present hope. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has much to be proud of. We are the third largest in the world by volume and among the biggest exporters of pharmaceuticals globally. Our country has so much potential for sustainable economic growth. We have a highly educated workforce and established science-based research institutions – we already have the important elements required to realise our ‘Make in India’ vision. To extend ‘Make in India’ to ‘Develop in India’ and ‘Innovate in India’, we will need a holistic approach that balances the need for innovation with the necessity for accessible medicines. A healthy nation must have a healthy pharmaceutical industry!
We will look to our Government to act as an enabler and give us predictability and transparency, as we work together to realize our collective dream.
Wishing you the best in 2015!
Dr Shailesh Ayyangar
President, OPPINike Air Presto Fly