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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Soon, drugs may become cheaper -Rupali Mukherjee

Soon, drugs may become cheaper -Rupali Mukherjee

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published Published on Sep 25, 2012   modified Modified on Sep 25, 2012
-The Times of India

MUMBAI: Consumers can look forward to a reduction in prices of essential medicines, with the Sharad Pawar-led Group of Ministers (GoM) planning to take a final decision on the pharmaceutical policy soon. The GoM will meet on September 27 to examine options under the market price-based mechanism to cap prices of drugs, which may lead to a reduction ranging from 25% to even 90% in some cases, sources said.

The GoM will compare the impact on prices by taking the weighted average of all brands, excluding those with less than 5% market share, then brands with less than 3% share, and finally those with less than 1% share in the market. While there is still no consensus on the formula for capping prices, the GoM that met on September 20 is believed to have veered towards the industry-favoured proposal of a market-based mechanism, as against a cost-based one suggested by health groups.

Experts added that whichever option under the market-based mechanism is adopted, the prices of essential medicines under NLEM (national list of essential medicines) 2011 will decline. The NLEM covers around 30% of the market.

A scrutiny of certain widely-used popular brands for pain management, allergies, cardiovascular disorders and blood thinners shows that the reduction in prices will range from 24% to as high as 95%, says D G Shah, secretary-general of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance. Also, the price reduction will not be limited to popular brands, but will effect over two-thirds of the market. This will result in the pharmaceutical industry losing nearly 10-12% of their sales and profits, he said.

As against this, S Srinivasan, a petitioner in the case which is being heard in the Supreme Court, says "a closer and detailed scrutiny of all the 348 essential medicines needs to be done to see whether there is any price reduction at all using the market-based formula. Importantly, combinations of medicines are not included in the essential list, so the span of control will be very less, and in some cases defeat the very purpose of price control".

At present, the government regulates prices of 74 medicines through a cost-based formula, while the draft policy last year had proposed that the retail prices of essential medicines be capped at the average price of the three best-selling brands.

The Times of India, 25 September, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Soon-drugs-may-become-cheaper/articleshow/16536343.cms


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