Pharma sector wants only 62 drugs under monitoring mechanism

New Delhi: The pharmaceutical industry wants only 62 drugs of the 354 drugs (663 formulations) in the National List of Essential Medicine (NLEM), 2003 to come under price monitoring mechanism.

This view is reflected in the report of the joint committee on Draft National Pharmaceutical Policy headed by Ms Satwant Reddy, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.

These 62 drugs are with 241 formulations. The drugs, which the industry did not want to be subjected to price control includes anti-cancer and anti-retroviral, formulations under public health programme, hospital supply products, and formulations having MRP below Rs 3 per unit. On these 62 drugs the industry has offered to roll back prices by six months from the date of the new DPCO order. It has also offered an additional 5 per cent reduction on the prices. Meanwhile, NPPA is of the view that the total number of drugs under price control should be 230 — this includes 44 drugs that are both part of the NLEM and DPCO 1995.