Thiruvananthapuram: Amid confusion over its efficacy and ambiguity over ensuring continuous supply, the state government is all set to make mandatory prescribing generic drugs in all government hospitals right from primary health centres -- from September first week. The generic drugs will be made mandatory in all government hospitals across the state from September 8. For this the Kerala Medical Service Corporation (KMSCL) has started stocking the drugs. “For the first quarter we have stocked batches of 939 types of drugs which would be supplied to hospitals in the coming days. There will be no shortage of drugs,’’ said managing director of KMSCL R Kamalahar. However, KMSCL authorities have found that 40 cancer drugs are not available in the generic drug market. “We have asked the hospitals to go for local purchase as these drugs are not available,’’ he said. Meanwhile, doctors have raised concern about the implementation of generic drugs at a time when the Centre has come out with a new pharma pricing policy. “The government could have provided branded drugs free of cost to BPL families rather than going for generic drugs. With the new pharma pricing policy, the cost of drugs has come down considerably. Instead of providing quality drugs why should we think of giving drugs that are manufactured by companies which are not known to anybody,’’ said IMA district president Dr N Sulphi. Doctors are also of the opinion that generic drugs cannot replace all the combination of drugs and hence it is difficult to prescribe them to patients. “There is no adequate combination available in the generic drug for expectorant cough syrup, painkillers as also for drugs given to reduce swelling. Hence we will have to write two or more tablets for a single cause,’’ said Dr Sulphi. Even though it was first implemented in medical college and general hospitals, it cannot be claimed as a complete success. The government has completely failed to ensure continuous supply of drugs. “In Thiruvananthapuram general hospital we are having shortage of drugs as it takes at least two weeks to get the next batch of drugs,’’ said Dr Syam Sunder, state president of Kerala Medical Officers’ Association. However, the difficulty faced by KMSCL authorities is -- there is no clear-cut idea on the part of hospital authorities as to the quantity and demand of each drug. “Many of the paracetamol tablets available under the generic category are substandard ones and they have the highest demand in government hospitals,’’ said Dr Syam Sunder.