Govt forms committee for revising List of Essential Medicines

The government formed core committee, comprising drug price regulator NPPA and Department of Pharmaceutical, for revision of National List of Essential Medicines is yet to submit its report.
The report of the committee is yet to be submitted, State Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Hans Raj Gangaram Ahir informed Parliament.
"Government in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has set up a core committee for revision of National List of Essential Medicine (NLEM) 2011 in which both the Department of Pharmaceutical and NPPA are represented," said Ahir.
There are 680 drug formulations related to 348 bulk drugs listed in NLEM by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

He further informed that over the pricing of the patented drugs in India, an inter-ministerial committee has been set up to look into the issues.
"To address the issue of price negotiation mechanism for patented drugs, an inter-ministerial committee of joint secretaries has been set up on November 7, 2011 to look into the issues and to suggest ways and means to fix prices of patented drugs in the country," Ahir informed.
He further informed that the government has received two requests by the private players to manufacture patented drugs under the compulsory licensing and in which drug maker Natco's plea has been approved by the Controller General of Patents designs and Trade Mark (CGPDTM).

However, CGPDTM declined BDR Pharmaceutical's plea under compulsory licensing.