Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Regulate The Price Of Medicines In The Country. on 17 December, 2012
> Title: Need to regulate the price of medicines in the country.
SHRI CHARLES DIAS (NOMINATED): The unreasonable pricing of medicines by drug manufactures has created problems for poor patients in the country. The particular brand of drug which contains the stipulated chemical or medicine for the cure of a disease, has its own manufacturing cost and this can be ascertained in a given period of time. While the manufacturing cost can be reasonably judged of the chemicals or ingredients used with its contents for the cure of a disease, the present trend to add some other chemical in the name of 'enriching' or making 'more effective' has put the patient in a situation to force them to buy and thereby exploit them. This is a move to deceive or cheat the hapless patients and in his misfortune of becoming affected with disease, he is cheated by drug manufacturers. The unreasonable pricing of medicine is explained by the manufacturer by the 'adding' of this extra element.
The Government has to look urgently into this unhealthy trend of drug manufacturing and unreasonable pricing and thereby cheating of the patients. The Governemnt can intervene by insisting the mode of manufacturing drugs with only the required chemicals and regulate its price and also initiate intervention in the manufacturing of essential life-saving medicines in the public sector for the best interest of patients in the country.