All India Chemists & Distributors Federation (AICDF) has submitted a memorandum to the Union health minister & family welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad to consider amendments to the existing Drugs Price Control Order 1995 and bring down the institutional direct sales of drugs in oncology and anti retroviral therapies as that is affecting the pharmaceutical trade. The amendments could also bring down the prices of life saving drugs,particularly, the cancer and anti retroviral combinations used for HIV/AIDS treatment.

The Federation has highlighted that the prices of anti cancer drugs and anti HIV/AIDS drugs are now proving to be unaffordable for the masses. A key reason for the high price is that maximum volumes of life saving drugs are dispensed by the hospitals and oncologists. Only a handful of chemists in the country stock the cancer and HIV drugs to sell it off their retail shelves. Pharmacy outlets stocking these drugs report low or nil sales primarily because healthcare providers stock the drugs and supply to patients directly on the recommendation of the doctors. Although this is the reality, yet there are allegations that the pharmacy trade is selling drugs with high margins, said Kailash Gupta, president, All India Chemists & Distributors Federation.

The Federation now has appealed to the Union health minister to permit sale of cancer and HIV drugs at all pharmacy outlets in the country. “AICDF is agreeable to sell these drugs with reduced margin and the manufacturers/importers may be asked to fix the retail price in accordance with the formula fixed under DPCO and in discussion with the representatives of the trade,” he added.

For effective implementation of this request, the Federation requested for a joint meeting of all stake holders who include medical fraternity, pharma industry and the pharmacy trade outlets to discuss and come out with an effective price control mechanism. The discussion according to the Federation could ensure that the life saving drugs particularly for cancer and HIV drugs would be made available to patients at affordable prices. The move would also clear up misunderstanding about the pharmacy trade, said AICDF president.

There are around 25 lakh cancer patients in the country and annually 7 lakh new cases are diagnosed. The value of the national oncology drug market is estimated at Rs 1,000 crore, compared to the total value of the pharma market which is Rs 70, 000 crore comprising prescription and institutional sales.

The Federation is now pressing the Union Ministry of Health to consider the suggestions and give an opportunity to all wholesalers and retailers to stock these drugs off the shelves so that patients can purchase these via prescription mode.