Govt. assures SC to control the prices of 348-drugs

Responding over, Supreme Court's concern over possible chances of price hikes due to new drug policy, government on Friday assured that all possible efforts would be done to arrest the price hike.

In an affidavit submitted to court, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated that government was strictly studying the draft, prepared by Department of Pharmaceuticals and ensured that the prices of all the 348 drugs including listed in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), 2011, would be kept under control.

"It is the considered view of the respondents that to make affordable healthcare a reality, all the medicines included in the NLEM, 2011 need to be brought within the ambit of price control, considering that cost of medicines constitutes over 60% of the total cost of healthcare," Ministry in an affidavit.

Currently 348 medicines covering 489 formulations including 16 fixed dose combinations are included in NELM, which are considerably assessed adequate to meet the common contemporary health needs of the general population of the country, as per Ministry belief.

Ministry has promised to ensure the availability of these drugs in the country. "It would be the general obligation of the health administrators to ensure abundant availability of these drugs in the country," Ministry said.

Earlier, All India Drug Action Network had filled a public interest litigation (PIL) with the supports of several NGOs by observing the possible chances of drug price hiking through making new drug policy 2006.

Hearing on this PIL on 17th November, a bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya had expressed their concern over government's policy. In this regard, the apex court has given three months duration to the government to take appropriate action to fulfil its promise.

The hearing would be head in January 2012.

The court had raised its eyebrow over the shrinking list of govt's Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). DPCO ensures that companies, distributors and sellers cannot sell drugs at higher price set by the government.

In earlier 1980, 300 drugs were under DPCO that shrank to 140 in 1987 and further 74 at present.

Giving the example of AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia, the apex court has advised the government to remain sensitive towards poor patients like these. "If RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and AIIMS were not there, 10% of patients would have faced critical times," bench said.