The price of 60 per cent of the medicines can be brought under control if a ministerial panel on pharmaceutical policy accepts Pharmaceuticals department’s proposals at its April 4 meeting, the government said today.
The Pharmaceutical Department had prepared a draft National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2011, that aims at controlling the price of drugs, particularly the essential ones.
A Group of Ministers, led by the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, has been set up to deliberate on the price control mechanism of the essential medicines proposed in the Policy.
“If the GoM and the Cabinet agree (to our proposals), 60 per cent of the medicines will come under the control of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2011,” the Minister of State for Chemicals, Mr Srikant Kumar Jena, said in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.
“The meeting of the GoM is scheduled on April 4,” he said.
Mr Jena also said the increase in the price of drugs and medicines had been generally lower compared to all commodities in the last four years since 2007-08.
To a separate question, he said the Pharmaceuticals Department had launched ‘Jan Aushadhi Campaign’ with the aim of making available medicines at affordable prices for all.
“Under the campaign less priced quality unbranded generic medicines are available though Jan Aushadhi stores. Till date, 117 such stores have been opened,” he said, adding government intends to open such outlets in every district.