THE UNIVERSITY Hospital Network has warned that some patients may suffer at the hands of the new Government Procurement and Supply Management Act, which requires them to use more generic medicines.

Taking effect today, the legislation requires medical-school hospitals to forego original drugs in favour of generic alternatives from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).

Also, they are legally required to ensure that at least 60 per cent of their medical supplies come from the GPO.

While quality generic medicines work well in most cases, some patients need original drugs, the University Hospital Network said in a statement yesterday.

The statement added that some patients could face grave consequences as soon as the new law became effective.

The University Hospital Network, which covers 19 institutes, said medical facilities would not buy original drugs for patients if their actions could be seen as defying the law.

We have raised our concerns in the hope that medical facilities will be allowed to consistently procure drugs, prosthetics and other medical supplies for patients so that there is no adverse impact on patients, the statement added.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a medical lecturer said university hospitals had never before been required to buy drugs from the GPO.

This is the first time medical-school hospitals have been subject to such a stipulation. And there is a 60-per-cent buying percentage requirement too, he said.

Under the new Government Procurement and Supply Management Act, other state hospitals have to buy at least 80 per cent of their medical supplies from the GPO an increase over the 60-per-cent requirement.

The medical lecturer said he had been informed that the GPO did not even produce some generic drugs itself, but just repackaged the medicines under the GPO brand.

Patients will be definitely affected because some will need to use original drugs. When university hospitals cannot provide such drugs, [those patients who can afford to do so] will have to go to private hospitals, he said.

On August 8, several medical school executives submitted a petition to Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong asking him to review the procurement guidelines for medicines, prosthetics and other medical supplies.

Comptroller Generals Department director-general Suttirat Rattanachot has defended the new Government Procurement and Supply Management Act.

In an interview earlier this month, she said the law allowed state hospitals to draw up their own new regulations for procurement, as long as they were in line with the acts objectives and won approval from the Government Procurement and Supply Management Policy Board.

She added that the act did not even give priority to prices in the procurement process.

It is not necessary that buyers must go for the cheapest price. Quality is a factor for consideration, Suttirat said.

She added that the Finance Ministry had already prepared seven draft ministerial regulations to facilitate enforcement of the act.

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Generic medicine law 'may hurt patients' - The Nation