The fresh stocks of drugs with revised prices, after the industry voluntarily cut trade margins for generic medicines, were yet to be released in the market as old stocks are still to be sold, the centre claimed.

``Generic drugs are generally being sold through a very small number of chemists and mostly through dispensing Doctors and Nursing Homes. Most of the chemists do not keep a stock of these drugs. Some of the stockists in the cities have received fresh stock after 2.10.2006 with the revised prices but these are yet to reach the market due to the old stock lying with them,'' said Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers B K Handique.

The reduction in prices of these medicines is voluntary and not due to any directive or order from the Government. Crosschecking of authenticity of these reductions is done through reports/price lists/feedback submitted by the Pharma companies, the Minister told Rajya Sabha on last Friday.

Pharma companies have agreed to voluntarily restrict the trade margins for generic medicines to 15% for wholesalers and 35% for retailers. As a result of this voluntary cap on trade margins the prices of several medicines manufactured by 11 companies, have been reduced. A compilation of a list of 886 such medicines, whose prices have been voluntarily reduced by these companies, has been brought out. It has also been placed in the library of the Parliament, he informed.