EPS urges Vijay govt to revive Amma pharmacies, flags rising medicine prices

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday urged the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to fully revive the subsidised Amma pharmacies introduced by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, alleging that rising prices of essential medicines were placing an increasing burden on poor and middle-class families.

In a statement, the former chief minister accused the state government of neglecting affordable healthcare and failing to protect vulnerable sections from the high cost of life-saving medicines. He said the revival of Amma Marundhagangal, or Amma Pharmacies, was necessary to ensure that essential drugs remained accessible to people who could not afford expensive treatment.

𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟰 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

Palaniswami said Jayalalithaa had launched Amma Pharmacies through the cooperative department in 2014 after concerns emerged over pharmaceutical companies allegedly inflating production costs and earning excessive profits from essential medicines.

He said the initiative was intended to make life-saving drugs available at affordable prices to economically disadvantaged households.

“When news emerged that companies manufacturing life-saving drugs were making profits by heavily inflating production costs, Amma (Jayalalithaa) launched ‘Amma Marundhagangal’ (Amma Pharmacies) through the cooperative department in 2014 with the noble objective of ensuring that affordable, life-saving medicines reach the poor, vulnerable and middle-class people,” he said.

The AIADMK leader added that the network of subsidised pharmacies was expanded during his tenure as chief minister, allowing more people across Tamil Nadu to purchase medicines at reduced prices.

𝗔𝗜𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗞 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗠𝗞, 𝗧𝗩𝗞

Palaniswami alleged that the previous DMK government, which assumed office in 2021, had weakened the Amma pharmacy network by renaming outlets as Chief Minister Pharmacies and transferring their operations to private entities.

He claimed that these changes had undermined the original purpose of the scheme and reduced the effectiveness of subsidised medicine distribution.

“Presently, the TVK government that has come to power has also completely ignored these pharmacies,” he alleged.

The former chief minister said successive administrations had failed to preserve an initiative designed to reduce healthcare expenditure for vulnerable families.

He called on the Vijay government to restore the pharmacies to their earlier level of functioning and ensure the availability of affordable medicines across the state.

𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀

Referring to concerns raised by the All India Drug Action Network, Palaniswami claimed that certain pharmaceutical companies were selling life-saving medicines at prices substantially higher than what he described as the stipulated 30 per cent profit margin.

He said the issue demonstrated the need for stronger government intervention to protect patients from excessive medicine costs.

The AIADMK leader also referred to proceedings before the Supreme Court on October 27 concerning charges imposed by private hospitals and the pricing of life-saving medical products and medicines.

According to Palaniswami, the apex court had directed the Centre and state governments to clarify their positions on fixing retail prices for medicines sold in hospitals.

He argued that the court proceedings had brought renewed attention to the financial difficulties faced by patients and the need to make essential treatment more affordable.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲

Palaniswami also questioned the state government's priorities, citing its reported additional revenue from an increase in liquor prices at Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) outlets.

He claimed that the TVK government had highlighted annual revenue of approximately Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 1,600 crore following a Rs 10 increase in liquor prices.

The AIADMK leader asked whether the government would demonstrate similar commitment to public welfare by reviving the subsidised pharmacy network.

He said the administration should prioritise access to affordable medicines, particularly for families already struggling with healthcare expenses.

Palaniswami maintained that the Amma pharmacies had been established to reduce the financial burden of illness and ensure that economically disadvantaged people were not denied essential medicines because of their cost.

He urged the Vijay government to take immediate steps to restore the network and strengthen the supply of subsidised drugs, arguing that affordable healthcare should remain a central responsibility of the state.