Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the prices of medicines are higher in the country as compared to the neighbouring countries;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether any concrete steps have been taken by the Government to reduce the prices of medicines; and
(d) if so, the details and achievement thereof along with the reasons therefor?
MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
(SHRI D.V. SADANANADA GOWDA)
(a) to (b): No information regarding prices of medicines in neighbouring countries is readily available. However, the prices of medicines in the country are not high and the same are regulated as per provisions of the Drug Prices Control Orders (DPCOs) issued from time to time.
(c) to (d): The medicines which are covered under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) announced by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare are included in the Schedule – I of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013) and the ceiling price of these medicines are fixed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The details of medicines under price control are as under:
• NPPA has fixed the ceiling prices of 881 scheduled formulations of medicines under NLEM, 2015.
• NPPA has also fixed the retail price of 1,495 new drugs under DPCO, 2013.
• NPPA fixed prices of 106 Anti-diabetic and Cardiovascular drugs under Para 19 of DPCO, 2013 in Public interest. NPPA has fixed ceiling price of Cardiac Stents being scheduled formulation under DPCO, 2013 affecting price reduction for Coronary Stents worked out up to 85% for Bare Metal Stents and 74% for Drug Eluting Stents.
• NPPA has fixed ceiling price of Orthopedic Knee Implants under Para 19 of DPCO, 2013 in Public interest affecting price reduction for orthopedic Knee Implants worked out up to be 69%.
• NPPA capped the Trade Margin of non-scheduled formulations of 42 select Anti-cancer medicines under “Trade Margin Rationalization” approach as a Pilot for proof of concept, wherein price of above 500 brands of medicines were reduced upto 90%.
The fixation of prices has resulted in a total saving of Rs. 12,447 crores per annum to the public after implementation of DPCO, 2013.
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