Health care spending has increased as the burden of critical illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension is constantly increasing, requiring patients to continue taking medications throughout their lives.
While spending on drugs continues to increase, the government has set up a panel to explore ways to make medicines affordable to humans by recalling the price policy. The committee, set up by the Pharmaceuticals Department, was asked to suggest policy measures as well as sanctions that can be introduced in the Drugs Act to deter companies from overloading pharmaceutical consumers.
The six-member committee, which has representatives from the Ministry of Health, the National Pharmaceutical Prices Authority (NPPA), India's Comptroller General for Drugs (DCGI) and the National Health System Resource Center (NHSRC) apart from the DoP itself, will also propose changes in the existing drug and is likely to give more teeth to the NPPA, which currently regulates the prices of pharmaceuticals in the country.
The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who heads the ministry to take immediate steps to lower drug prices so that they are affordable for everyone.
