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Prices of life-saving drugs: court seeks State stance
- It sought a directive to supply the life-saving drugs free of cost to patients who were living below the poverty line (BPL).
- It also sought a direction to implement the National Pharmaceutical Policy and Health Policy.
- It pointed out that there had been no mechanism to fix and regulate the prices of medicines, especially anti-cancer drugs.
- Nor the government had laid down any guidelines or criteria for fixing the maximum retail price of life-saving anti-cancer drugs.
- The State submitted that though the prices had to be regulated, excessive regulation might cause acute scarcity of drugs. Besides, private manufacturers were not interested in selling drugs at reduced prices. It also pointed out that the margin of profit of the drugs for cancer and kidney diseases was greater than that of other drugs.
