Drug prices not hiked but cut: Govt

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 18

The Central Government today refuted reports that prices of essential drugs had been increased, saying they have been reduced since the Narendra Modi government came to power in May this year.

"In the last six months, no prices of medicines have been hiked. There is no question of sky-rocketing medicine prices," Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar said while replying to a calling attention motion in the Lok Sabha.

"In fact, the prices of drugs have come down under the Modi government," he said even as Opposition benches contested his claims and repeatedly asked him to tell about the rising cost of drugs used for cancer.

The minister said the government had set up an integrated pharmaceutical database system and price monitoring resource units for drugs in each state. He said 3,000 outlets for generic medicines would be set up across the country.

Health Minister JP Nadda, who was asked by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to intervene, said the quality and manpower in laboratories across the country needed to be improved to check spurious drugs.

Congress MP Ranjit Ranjan said the government needed a law to ensure that only generic medicines were subscribed by doctors. "We need a regulatory body to protect patients and keep a watch on doctors," she added.