-The Times of India NEW DELHI: With just a day to go before the roll out of goods and services tax (GST) in India from July 1, the country's drug industry fears that there may be a temporary shortage of medicines as many traders and chemists are yet to comply with the norms. Though the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, which represents over 8 lakh chemists, has assured the government...

-The Indian Express Responding to specific queries on the issue, Bhupendra Singh, NPPA chairman, told The Indian Express that “examination of hospital records is in process”. AFTER the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) in February ordered a cap on the prices of coronary stents and directed hospitals to issue separate bills specifying their cost, the drug pricing watchdog has started receiving consumer complaints against hospitals which are allegedly hiking the prices...

-The Times of India Multinational stent companies claim that the ceiling price fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is commercially unviable, but they are selling at far lower prices in much richer countries with smaller markets than India such as Germany, the UK, Italy and many other European countries. A look at the prices of stent brands in these countries shows that people in India have been defrauded of crores...

-The Hindu Doctors’ objections to prescribing medicines by generic names fly in the face of a recent report on substandard drugs In a surprise move on April 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government will soon make it mandatory for doctors to prescribe medicines by generic names. The decision was to ensure drug prices remain affordable and patients get a wider bouquet of options instead of being forced to...

-The Hindu The core issues are affordable access to medicines and their rational prescription and use The Medical Council of India (MCI) issued a circular on April 21 drawing attention to clause 1.5 of its regulations regarding the professional conduct of doctors: “Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription of drugs.” Further, the circular said,...