89 cases against drug firms

Hyderabad: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy Authority  has booked 89 cases against various pharmaceutical companies in violation of the Drug Price Control Order in the country.
The companies have been slapped with a fine of Rs 105 crore as they are overcharging for the medicines that are controlled under the DPCO order 2013.

A senior drug control officer in Hyderabad said, “There are 348 medicines on the list and every consumer does not check the prices. It is the duty of the chemist to check and ensure that the order is implemented.”

Officers tracking the drugs market claim that dearth of inspectors for checking is one of the biggest drawbacks in the effective implementation of government scheme.