[india-drug] Medicine prices of few generics to decrease

["anita kotwani" <anitakotwani@msn.com>]

Medicine prices of few generics to decrease
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Dear All,

   A  welcome  and  long  awaited agreement  by the government and pharma
   industry  to  cap the margins to wholesaler at 15% and to retailers at
   35%  for  off  patent medicines without brand names.  The self-imposed
   discipline  on  margins  caps,  will  be  in  place  from Octber 2, as
   mentioned in a Newspaper daily,The Times of India, September 22, 2006,
   New  Delhi  edition,  article on front page "Common drug prices set to
   fall by 30-50%".

    Article mentioned that at present, on certain medicines margins range
   from  800-3000%,  that  increase  the  price  of  many  medicines. For
   instance,  chemist  purchased  a  strip  of  10  tablet  of  cetrizine
   formulation,  Ceticad  at RS. 1.60 but it is available to the consumer
   for  Rs.  26, a margin of over 1500%! It is mentioned in the newspaper
   article that  the new price of Ceticad would be Rs. 10.60.

   Let us hope that the consumer will get these generics at a reasonable
   price.

   Anita Kotwani

   (Dr. Anita Kotwani)

   Reader (Associate Professor)

   Technical Advisor for India, WHO-HAI on Medicine Prices Project

   Department of Pharmacology

   Patel Chest Institute

   University of Delhi
"anita kotwani" <anitakotwani@msn.com>