Drugs more accessible to poor after price capping

Accessibility to essential medicines by poor people has been improved after capping prices of 530 drugs under the price monitoring mechanism, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Government had notified Drugs (Price Control) Order, 2013 on May 15 of the same year. All the medicines specified in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011 have been brought under price control.
"Consequent to the price fixation of drugs under this order, the accessibility to the poor has improved. Out of the total 680 NLEM medicines under scheduled category of DPCO 2013, NPPA (National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority) fixed the ceiling prices in respect of 530 medicines", Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

In addition, maximum retail price has been capped in respect of 106 non scheduled medicines, out of which 84 are used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases and 22 for diabetes, under Para 19 of the DPCO, 2013, the minister said.
Further, NPPA fixed the retail prices of 247 new drugs under Para 5 of the DPCO.
NPPA regularly monitors the prices of scheduled and non scheduled formulations under DPCO 2013, the Minister said.
He further added that no change in Schedule I to DPCO, 2013 has been made by the government.