OPPI Opposes Draft National Pharmaceuticals Policy

"The move (of bringing more drugs under price control) will act as a barrier to our growing markets and it will lead to the destruction of Indian Pharma companies," he said.

Instead of widening the list of drugs under the price control regime, the government should ensure access to basic healthcare facilities, Dangi added.

Criticising the proposal to include 354 drugs in the price control regime, he said it would drastically hit the margins of drug manufacturers.

He said the prices of medicines were already lowest in India, even lower than other neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Sri lanka and Indonesia and there were no apparent reasons to reduce them further.

If the government wanted to lower it further then it should be looking at drugs taxation, he observed. The easier way to reduce prices is to cut taxes such as excise duty which push the prices of medicines up by 75 percent.

Source:PTI News