(a) whether the prices of life saving drugs for AIDS, Cancer and some other diseases are apprehended to go up due to the amendments in Patent Act and implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) recently;
(b) if so, the details thereof and to what extent the Patent Act and VAT are responsible for the hike in prices of drugs alongwith the names of drugs thereof;
(c) the steps taken to control the prices of life saving drugs;
(d) whether the Government proposes to review new system to charge excise duty on the basis of the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) on drugs; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?