Re: [india-drug] Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to cos. (4)

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

  Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to cos. (4)
****************************************************  

Dear All,

One  of  the  important policy option to decrease pricing in the 'free
   market'  is  imposing  transparency  in  the  system  and  empowering
   consumer.

   At present we do not have much transparency in price of medicine that
   is at  what  price company give a particular medicine to wholesalers,
   what is   the  price  for  retailers.  If the prices are regularly
   published/website  for all the medicines, it will automatically keep a
   check and better competition in the market for the consumer.

   If consumer has the knowledge of different prices of same therapeutic
   chemical moiety  manufactured  by different pharmaceutical companies,
   consumer  would  be  more  knowledgeable  and  can  choose  or  ask the
   prescriber to  prescribe  the  medicine of a particular company whose
   price  is sometimes much less from a different company. This is many a
   times  50-100%  difference in price of a same medicine from two 'good'
   manufacturing companies.

We can discuss these points in detail that how to move ahead in this direction.

Thanks.

   
   Anita Kotwani
V.P.chest Institute
University of Delhi
anitakotwani@msn.com

       ______________________________________________________________

     From:  "anita kotwani" <anitakotwani@msn.com>
     Reply-To:  India-Drug             Communication             Network
     <india-drug@healthnet.org>
     To:  india-drug@healthnet.org
     Subject:  Re:  [india-drug] Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to
     cos. (3)
     Date:  Mon, 13 Nov 2006 01:47:24 -0500
     >  Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to cos. (3)
     >***************************************************
     >
     >Dear Dr. Baru and all the members,
     >
     >    Thanks  for  appreciating  the  importance of the topic. Other
     members
     >    have also appreciated the topic for discussion.
     >
     >    Please  put  in  your  suggestions and views so that thread of
     discussion
     >    goes on.
     >
     >    Regards
     >
     >    Anita Kotwani
     >(Dr. Anita Kotwani)
     >Department of Pharmacology
     >V.P.Chest Institute
     >University of Delhi
     >Delhi 110007
     >
     <anitakotwani@msn.com>      _______________________________________
     _______________________
     >
     >      From:  "rama baru" <rbaru2002@yahoo.co.uk>
     >      Reply-To:  India-Drug                          Communication
     Network
     >      <india-drug@healthnet.org>
     >      To:  India-Drug             Communication            Network
     <india-drug@healthnet.org>
     >      Subject:  Re:  [india-drug]   Drug   pricing:  Centre  gives
     ultimatum to
     >      cos. (2)
     >      Date:  Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:26:50 +0000 (GMT)
     >      >Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to cos. (2)
     >      >*************************************************
     >      >
     >      >Dear Dr Kotwani,
     >      >    I  think  that  you  have  raised  an  important  issue
     that needs
     >      discussion..I hope this forum will initiate it.
     >      >
     >      >Rama Baru
     >      >**please add profession and affiliation**
     >      >rama baru <rbaru2002@yahoo.co.uk>
     >      >
     >      >anita kotwani <anitakotwani@msn.com> wrote:
     >      >   Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to cos. (1)
     >      >*************************************************
     >      >
     >      >Dear All,
     >      >
     >      >We  have  'free  market'  for pharmaceuticals and it is the
     market
     >      forces
     >      >that determine the final /retail price of a medicine. There
     is no
     >      >control  of  government  on  prices of medicines except the
     prices of
     >      >74  bulk  drugs  that are listed in DPCO which are fixed by
     NPPA. In
     >      >that  list  also  price  of medicines of a few drugs is not
     revised
     >      for a
     >      >long  time  and  these  medicines  are  available at a very
     variable
     >      price
     >      >in the market, one of such medicine is Ciprofloxacin.
     >      >
     >      >On  September 22, 2006 there was an article in The Times of
     India,
     >      New
     >      >Delhi,  stating  that pharma industry has agreed to cap the
     margins
     >      of
     >      >wholesalers  (15%)  and  retailers(35%)  and  hence  the
     prices if
     >      common
     >      >drugs  (off  patent)  would  fall  by  30-50%.  This  self-
     imposed
     >      discipline
     >      >was  to  be  in  place  from  October  2,  2006.   But  the
     prices of
     >      medicines remain the same.
     >      >
     >      >On  November 8, 2006, the times of India, New Delhi edition
     has an
     >      >article,  Drug pricing: Centre gives ultimatum to cos" that
     states
     >      >that  Centre has issued deadlines for drug manufacturers to
     reduce
     >      the
     >      >MRP  (Maximum  Retail  Price)  of 886 drugs by November 15,
     otherwise
     >      the
     >      >GOVERNMENT  WOULD THEN NOTIFY THESE DRUGS TO BE SOLD AT THE
     PRICES
     >      AGREED UPON BY THE MANUFACTURERES.
     >      >
     >      >It  is  high  time  that  some  policy changes are made and
     some check
     >      is
     >      >imposed  on  the  manufacturer for the prices of medicines.
     Prices of
     >      >medicines  have  an  impact  on  the  affordability  of  dr
     ugs and
     >      ultimately
     >      >access  to  essential  medicines. In India more than 80% of
     drug
     >      >financing  is  out-of-pocket  -  patients  have  to  pay  f
     or  the
     >      medicines
     >      >themselves.  High prices of medicines are a barrier to good
     health.
     >      >
     >      >The  group  can  discuss  the  ways  to  decrease prices of
     medicines and
     >      >increase  the  availability of medicines both in public and
     private
     >      >sector  so  that  access   of   health   care  is  improved
     especially for
     >      the
     >      >poorer section of the society.
     >      >
     >      >Anita Kotwani
     >      >Department of Pharmacology
     >      >V.P.Chest Institute
     >      >University of Delhi
     >      >"anita kotwani"
     >      >___________________________________________________________
     ______
     >      >
     >      >
     >      >_______________________________________________
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References

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