Government mulls providing over 50 essential drugs at cheaper rates

New Delhi: Government is mulling providingmore than 50 essential drugs, including those used in   treatment of cancer and AIDS, at cheaper rates to a large   section of the population, said Union Minister Ananth Kumar.As of now, the government keeps a tab on the prices of   essential medicines which are included in the National List of   Essential Medicines (NLEM).   "..there are about 100 crore people in the country whoare either below poverty line, or in low income group or in   middle income group.

So there is need to ensure health security for such people," Minister of Chemicals and   Fertilisers Ananth Kumar today said at an event. Therefore we would like to provide them drug security and   for that we need to provide 50-55 such medicines which are   used to cure cough, viral, flu, typhoid, daibetes, hypertension, HIV AIDS and cancer, the minister said.  "These 50-55 medicines are very essential and we need a bracket of such 50-55 medicines which should be provided at   cheaper rates and are of good quality. Therfore the government  is looking into this and exploring this," Kumar said.  

The minister also emphasized that for the sake of health   security there is need to reenergize and revive the sick pharma PSUs and said that the government is working on it.   Besides this, there is also need to bring medical devices   under the list of NLEM to keep a check on their prices, he added.  Meanwhile, as per Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013, NPPA fixes ceiling prices of the medicines under NLEM and no   person is authorised to sell them at a price exceeding the price notified by NPPA