Essential medicines News

Government has slashed prices of 10 more drugs while bringing eight new medicines, including paracetamol, under price control for the first time in its bid to cap cost of over 800 plus formulations to make them affordable.

Prices may come down of 56 important medicines used in treatment of cancer, diabetes, bacterial infections and high blood pressure, with the government fixing their ceiling prices under the drug pricing control mechanism.

For drugs priced between Rs 20-50, the panel has proposal to cap the margin at 40 percent.

The Government has added 106 drugs including that of Cancer, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C to the list of essential medicines.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the ceiling prices for 530 essential medicines, including 47 for cancer and 22 for HIV, Lok Sabha was informed today.

The Supreme Court has asked the central government to reexamine its pricing policy for essential medicines after a group of non-governmental organisations challenged the provisions, a lawyer involved in the case said.

The government has allowed pharmaceutical companies to hike rates of 509 essential medicines used for treating various ailments like diabetes, hepatitis and cancer by 3.84 percent with effect from April 1.

To keep a check on prices of essential medicines, the government has brought 52 new drugs under its price control mechanism including some commonly used painkillers and antibiotics, as also those useful in treatment of cancer and skin diseases.

The rise in prices of essential medicines, including those used for treatment of tuberculosis, AIDS and diabetes, resulting from price decontrol of 108 drugs was on Wednesday raised in Rajya Sabha with entire Opposition seeking government's response on the matter.