Drug procurement

Procurement

Drug required is Gemcitabine – 200 mg inject able.

I searched in the CIMS online and found 14 different brands of it with prices varying from Rs.1050 to Rs.1920. My intension is to go for the cheapest possible brand, obviously.

Long time back Sudha has promised me of getting it for free as she is in pharmacology, and as she can get to know the men at work selling this by some means and fetch it for free. She even called me when she was just about to enter the room of Dr. Krishna Prasad, the medical oncologist, for getting the drug called Dasatinib, for her presentation of a paper in national conference this December. I had denied the offer.

From the past week I have decided to start the experiment. The first part is over as the control mice dissection is done. I went to AJ pharmacy this Sunday, enquired about the drug, which they in deed had, but the costliest one. Its name is Gemicite. It would cost me Rs.1920. But the pharmacy manager told me he can order the other lower cost brands.

It was BK sir who told me to give a try in Gopal Kamath wholesale drug distributors as they are the largest drug marketers in Mangalore, supplying most part of the drugs prescribed here.

I went to the shop Monday, the day I was fooled by wrongly read news in Hindu about the 9^th chapter discloser by Swami Brahmananda in TMA Pai conference hall. They had the drug. It costs Rs. 1119. I didn’t have the money then. I decided to buy on the following day.

The next day I and Santhosh sir walked to the shop and got the bill for the 200mg drug paid the amount. Including the owner of the shop searched the whole godown and finally announced that the drug is not present with them. They gave the number of the Dabur pharma medical representative, Mr Ravikumar.

I spoke with him and as instigated by Santhosh sir, I asked the drug for free. He said they can give it – if I submit the letter by an oncologist stating that the drug is for the study or for poor patient. I agreed for the letter submission.

Later I found that the only visiting oncologist to AJ is Dr. Krishna Prasad and it is very hard to locate him. He comes for the rounds at 6am if he had patient(s).

When I said the story to BK, he said don’t get the drug for free and tell the medical rep that I pay for it for the reasons we cant go behind an oncologist (just) for the letter.

I called him and said I can give you my thesis synopsis and letter of registration with RGUHS. He agreed to give the drug by 2 noon!

By 5.30 pm today he called and asked me to collect the drug from some shop in Dambale.

I will go and get the drug tomorrow!