The rising prices of drugs are a matter of concern. Prices of the medicines have seen a quantum jump from Rs 74.5 crore as over charged amount in 2009-10 to Rs 415.31 crore till August 2014, which in itself tells about the profit margins the pharma companies, distributors and the dealers are making from the common man’s hardship. In the absence of a proper price and market check mechanism the soaring profit has added to manufacturers coffers on which now Union Government is also worried. Government is planning to bring in regulatory agencies to check price rise of drugs but the reality is that at ground level there is no foolproof mechanism to arrest the unscrupulous pricing. Adding to the spiraling prices is doctors’ urge to earn more by pushing as many prescriptions of a particular company’s product as have kept the price bar going up. Though there is National Pharmaceutical Price Authority (NPPA) to regulate the price but in the absence of any response from states it is the open market to corner maximum in profits. Though NPPA continues to play a vital role in coordination with state agencies to kick start the projects what is needed is adequate number of field inspectors for the physical proximity to the market forces. But the worst scenario is the central regulator finds it difficult to keep a routine watch in the absence of proper monitoring. Centre will have to concentrate on metropolitan cities and states where concentration of pharma companies is more on priority to check the price and not just caping the medicine cost which is not going to serve as any remedy for the cancerous growth of profit making pharma sector in the country.
