Sharp exchanges between the industry and the government took place on Tuesday over the scope of national pharma pricing policy. While the industry is miffed with the government for proposing to up the coverage of drugs under price control to 75% from present 20%, the department of pharma claims such coverage is necessary to ensure affordability and accessibility of drugs in the country.
“The pharma sector is not the only industry where prices are being fixed, it is fixed in other industries which deal with essential commodities. Why is the pharma industry then really grumbling so much over drug price control?” asked minster of state for chemicals and fertilisers, Srikant Kumar Jena while speaking at the Ficci Pharma Summit. ?Affordability, accessibility and poor people must be given the first consideration,” Jena added. Voicing concern over the rising cost of medicines and healthcare, Jena said, ?unlike for FMCG, medicines are not available in a free market as the prescription of a doctor drives the market and there is an asymmetry of information due to the interests of various stakeholders.
