The prices of some drugs used to treat cancer, diabetes and cardiac diseases may be reduced as the centre plans on initiating a new process to identify the essential drugs and get them under price control, according to a report by Mint.
A newly-formed panel on the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is set to meet the stakeholders today to shortlist drugs which should be available in sufficient numbers and assured quality, the report said, citing a senior government official.
Once the list is shortlisted, it will be sent to a second committee, comprising Rajiv Kumar, vice-chairman of NITI Aayog, Preeti Sudan, secretary of the health ministry, and P. Raghavendra Rao, secretary of the department of pharmaceuticals, who will decide on the drugs to be brought under price control, the report said.
Medicines and devices listed in NLEM must be sold at the price fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. The ones in the non-scheduled list are allowed a maximum hike of 10 percent annually, the report added.
In the existing mechanism, all essential medicines were brought under price control. However, changes are expected to be made to the list of essential drugs on the basis of the World Health Organization’s essential list published earlier this month, the report mentioned, citing experts.
First Published: Jul 24, 2019 9:19 AM IST
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