IREC Rule No.627: Reimbursement Of Costs Of Medicines
627. Reimbursement Of Costs Of Medicines Which Are Neither Ordinarily Stocked Nor Available In Railway Medical Institutions But Are Purchased From The Market:-
(1) To minimize claims for reimbursement of cost of items inadmissible, the medical officers concerned with the treatment of the patients, should determine that essentiality certificates should not be issued in respect of items which are not medicines but which are primarily food tonics etc. A decision should depend whether the drug element is small in comparison with the food contents of the proportion prescribed. A propriety item should not be prescribed if a non-propriety prescription of a similar therapeutic value is available. Necessary guidelines should be taken from the Indian Railway Pharmacopoea.
(2) The charges for the cost of medicines which are reimbursable will be allowed only if the claim for reimbursement thereof is accompanied by the cash memo and a essentiality certificate duly countersigned by the authorized medical officer in the prescribed proforma as given in the annexure. Every cash memo must be countersigned by the doctor prescribing the medicines and the essentiality certificate must contain the name of the medicines prescribed and the amount incurred on the purchase of each medicine, whether or not the original prescription have been submitted.
Note: The underlined idea is to ensure that the medicines actually considered essential by the authorized medical officer and they may be purchased and consumed by the patient as directed.
(3) Sales tax paid on these medicines will be reimbursable.
(4) The charges for packing and postage if incurred will not be reimbursable.
(5) Ordinarily expenses on account of the cost of medicines intended for injections prescribed at the consulting room of the authorized medical officer but administered at the residence of a patient who is a member of the family or dependent relative of a railway employee will not be reimbursable. In serious cases however the reimbursement is regular vide sub-para (2) above.
(6) The State Government where agreeable should debit the railway administration concerned by preferring bills or by raising debits in respect of cost of medicines, vaccination etc. not ordinarily available at hospitals which are certified in writing to be essential for the recovery or prevention of serious deterioration in the condition of a railway beneficiary who is admitted to a non-railway government hospital for treatment at the instance of the authorized medical officer. If the State Government concerned are not agreeable to such an arrangement, reimbursement to the railway employee concerned would be permissible as per rules.
[Authority: Ministry of Railway’s decision No.1, 2, 3 below Rule 903 R-I & paragraph 1434 and 1435 (a) of the IREM]