Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the production cost of drugs not covered under price control is many times higher than that of controlled drugs and if so, the details thereof; and
(b) whether the Government has formulated any policy to lower the prices of drugs for cancer and AIDS as well as for other lifesaving drugs and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS; MINISTRY OF SHIPPING AND MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)
(a): There is no specific provision in the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013 (DPCO, 2013) to examine and regulate the actual cost of production of medicines with reference to the prices.
(b): The Government has fixed the ceiling prices of 761 essential formulations in accordance with Schedule- I of the DPCO 2013, which also includes 67 anti-cancer drugs and 41 anti-HIV Drugs.
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