The Little-Discussed, Ingenious Frauds of Pharmaceutical Companies

 To the best of my knowledge, two distinct and novel forms of fraud within the 'pharmaceutical industry'—a topic rarely discussed in India—have not been the subject of any significant public debate.

When I speak of the pharmaceutical industry, I am not referring to the scenarios popularized by the movie *Ramana*—such as doctors prescribing unnecessary medications (or drugs largely unrelated to the actual ailment), which we then purchase, or the act of returning purchased medicines back to the pharmacy.

**Fraud #1:** This is a different kind of fraud—one that the public has either tacitly accepted or which has been subtly imposed upon them.

For instance, if we suffer from a cold, a cough, or a blood or vitamin deficiency, doctors typically prescribe a syrup or a tonic.

Most bottles of tonics or syrups available on the market come in standard sizes, starting from 100 ml.

For example, we might consume these medicines at a rate of 5 to 10 ml per day for two or three days—just long enough for the cold, cough, or fever to subside.

In other words, we purchase a 100 ml bottle, use only about 30 ml of it, and end up wasting the remaining 70 ml.

The question now arises: Why do pharmaceutical companies not manufacture smaller bottle sizes—such as 30 ml, 50 ml, or 75 ml?

If one were to calculate the cumulative effect of this practice across the entire country, it would amount to a revenue stream worth thousands of crores of rupees for these pharmaceutical companies.

**Fraud #2:** This form of fraud is many times worse than the first.

In India, there are established norms dictating that specific educational qualifications are required to perform specific jobs. In particular, the rule mandates that those involved in life-saving medical care—including those who dispense medicines to us—must possess at least a minimum level of formal education within their respective fields.

However, a specific pharmaceutical company operating in India hires individuals to work in its pharmacies regardless of the academic degrees they hold.

These employees are provided with a mere 10 days of training before being directly deployed to perform their duties. If they have any doubts, they consult the pharmacist working at the pharmacy before dispensing the medication to us.

If one can simply hire anyone—disregarding those who have actually completed a B.Pharm or M.Pharm degree—then what is the point of having academic courses specifically dedicated to the study of pharmaceuticals?

Is it appropriate to engage in such practices within the life-saving field of healthcare?

If they possess the financial means, let them open as many pharmacies as they wish; let them conduct their business.

A Siddha practitioner is not permitted to prescribe Allopathic medicines. Yet, I fail to understand which law permits pharmaceutical companies to toy with the lives of others in this manner.

Thank you,

Sathish