Major Decision by Health Department; 'Near-Expiry' Medicines to be Sent to Medical Colleges; Directives Issued to Ensure Consumption in Districts
Patna: The Bihar Health Department has taken a highly significant and strategic decision regarding the management of medicines within the state's public healthcare system. The department has issued directives that medicines nearing their expiry date should be prioritized for shipment to medical colleges. The Health Department argues that the volume of patients and the rate of medicine consumption in medical colleges are significantly higher compared to other health centers, ensuring these medicines can be utilized before they expire.
An Effort to Curb Wastage of Medicines
It is often observed that medicines at smaller district hospitals or Community Health Centers (CHCs) expire due to lower consumption rates, causing a loss of crores of rupees to the state exchequer. A senior official from the Health Department stated that this "relocation" policy has been adopted to bring the wastage of medicines to zero.
Under the new system, a centralized dashboard will be utilized to monitor the expiry dates of medicines. Drugs set to expire within the next 3 to 6 months will be identified and immediately dispatched to institutions with higher patient loads.
New Guidelines for Medical Colleges and District Hospitals
The Health Department has clarified the following:
Medical Colleges as Priority: Since thousands of patients visit the OPDs and emergency wards of medical colleges daily, medicines nearing expiry are consumed very rapidly there.
Distribution to Other Districts: Civil Surgeons in districts without a medical college have been instructed to identify their district hospitals or health centers with high patient volumes and redirect these medicines there to ensure timely consumption.
Monitoring Mechanism: The department has directed all district drug store in-charges to conduct weekly stock reconciliations and submit a list of near-expiry medicines to the headquarters every 15 days.
Department's Clarification on Quality and Standards
Regarding the relocation of these medicines, the department clarified that this does not mean patients are being given old or substandard drugs. The official stated, "Medicines are completely effective and safe until their expiry date. We are merely optimizing resources so that government funds are not misused and no patient is forced to purchase medicines from outside due to shortages in government facilities."
Instructions to Doctors and Healthcare Workers
The department has appealed to doctors to prioritize the availability of existing stock when prescribing medicines in the OPD. Furthermore, pharmacists have been instructed to strictly adhere to the 'First In, First Out' (FIFO) rule—ensuring that medicines arriving first are utilized first.
Hopes for Improvement
Welcoming this move, experts suggest that if implemented with complete transparency, it will not only reduce the burden on the government treasury but also alleviate the problem of medicine shortages in hospitals. All Civil Surgeons in the state have been ordered to share a report of their district's stock within 48 hours.
