Last Updated on January 6, 2024 by The Health Master
Chandigarh: Following a decision made at a meeting called by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, the Punjab government will soon send a letter to the Centre requesting that the prices of non scheduled medications be brought under control.
The move is aimed at stopping the fleecing of the public due to the exorbitant rates of medicines, an official statement said.
According to Sandhwan, the central government is responsible for regulating drug prices, and “licensed patient thievery has been legalized under the current system.”
“It is critical to find an immediate solution to this very sensitive issue in people’s lives.” “The Union government should immediately look into this matter and amend the law so that patients’ looting could be stopped at once,” he said, as per the statement.
During the meeting, MLAs, health experts, doctors and representatives of various NGOs spoke about the actual rate and maximum retail prices of the medicines, showing the difference in prices of up to 90 per cent along with evidence.
Speaking on the issue, Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh said the prices of 388 scheduled life-saving drugs are under control, but there is a huge difference in the prices of thousands of non scheduled medicines, which leads to huge exploitation of the patients.
He said that the pharmaceutical research sector is commercially driven. “But, since health is a state subject and a fundamental right of the people, thus the state government will write a letter to the Union government within a day or two to bring the prices of non scheduled drugs under control,” the health minister said. The minister said
A better regulation of medicines in the state is a priority for the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led administration, which also notes that 100 tests are performed gratis and that all medications are given away without charge.
He said that the number of ‘Jan Aushadhi’ centres’ in the state will be increased and the testing mechanism of ethical and generic medicines will be further strengthened.
Inderbir Singh Nijjar, the local government minister, suggested that legislation be passed “to stop the trend being adopted by the pharmaceutical companies to remove their medicines from the scheduled list of the Union government by making minor changes to the salt of the drug.”
“It is also the need of the hour to pay attention towards hospitals’ branding trend, which is largely responsible for increasing the prices of medicines,” he added.
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