Patients save Rs 12,447 crore due to price fixation of essential medicines

Patients have saved Rs 12,447 crore due to fixation of prices of essential medicines by the government, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

Out of the total savings, patients have saved Rs 2,422 crore under National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011 from May 2013 to February 2016, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Further, a saving of Rs 2,644 crore was made under NLEM 2015 from March 2016 till date, he added.

Patients saved Rs 350 crore for cardio vascular and anti-diabetic medicines, Gowda said.

Due to fixing of prices of coronary stents and knee implants by the government, patients saved Rs 4,547 crore and Rs 1,500 crore, respectively, he added.

Moreover, patients have saved Rs 984 crore for anti-cancer drugs, Gowda said.

Highlighting the role of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Gowda said the Authority has taken important measures to check prices of drugs, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO).

Since inception of NPPA till May 2019, 2,033 demand notices have been issued to pharmaceutical companies for overcharging, he added.