All medicines, including life-saving ones, should be available at affordable cost, says Panel

The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers has recommended bringing all medicines sold in the country under price control.

Stating that all medicines are essential, the committee, which tabled its report in Parliament on Monday, said that all drugs, including life-saving ones, should be available in the market at affordable cost.

Currently, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed prices of 509 formulation packs based on National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).

The committee was surprised to know that all medicines are not listed in NLEM.

"The committee are of the view that all medicines are essential and is taken only when it is needed by the patient," the report on Department of Pharmaceuticals said.

The panel further said, "All these medicines, including life-saving drugs, should be available in the market at affordable cost. To keep this in view, the committee recommends that the scope of price control needs to be enlarged to make all the drugs available, especially life-saving drugs, in all parts of the country. The government should also expedite the process of notifying the ceiling prices of the remaining medicines in NLEM."

Expressing concern over large sum of money spent on importing pharmaceutical products, the panel also called for incentivising domestic bulk drug industry and discourage Indian firms from buying from overseas.

It said that Rs 17,944 crore was spent in 2013-14 to import medicinal and pharmaceutical products. "The committee are of the strong view that to realise the dream of 'Make in India' concept in pharmaceutical sector, the government should boost and incentivise domestic bulk drug industry and discourage Indian pharmaceutical firms from importing," the report said.

The panel also said that it is dissatisfied with the department's explanation that imports were made on quality and economic considerations and not necessarily due to non-availability from domestic sources.

It further said that in order to make the country self-reliant, revival of sick public sector units is necessary to create capacity of bulk drugs.