Leading health activists and public interest groups have slammed the existing price control mechanism as `flawed’ and called for a tighter, better and wider price control system covering all essential medicines to ensure affordable treatment to the people in the country.

The activists, taking part at a national consultation on free treatment to all Indians here, pointed out that the market model where competition would decide the prices has failed. Therefore, the government should bring all essential medicines under price control. They also came down heavily on the delay in announcing the long pending national pharmaceutical policy.

“The pharma companies must be earning a lot. Otherwise, how can they extend bonus schemes even for price controlled drugs. The policy of` let competition decide drug prices’ has failed, if one looks at the huge difference among the prices of drugs by different competitors. The lowest market price for molecule escitalopram is Rs 6 while the highest is Rs 14 for another brand, making a difference of 230 per cent. In the case of risperiodone, the lowest priced brand is available at Rs 17 while its highest variant is sold at Rs 270, making a difference of 1600 per cent,” said Dr C M Gulhati of Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS).

He also pointed out that the current system of price control had its shortcomings, helping the companies to migrate from a controlled drug to another alternative to circumvent the bracket as the price control was on drugs and not on therapeutic categories. Chloroquine which is under control is sold at 90 paise per tab whereas another drug mefloquin in the same anti-malaria category is sold at Rs 45 per tab, he pointed out. Likewise, Ranitidine, under price control, is sold at Rs 1 per tab while omeprazole is sold at Rs 5.40 per tab as the latter is out of control. Same is the case with many other drugs, he said.

“Ceiling prices of all molecules belonging to a specific class or therapeutic category to be treated alike. Bring vigorous monitoring of non-controlled drugs where hike in MRP is beyond 10 per cent. Reduce the hike to 5 per cent for one year. Monitor base price at launch to prevent acute, recurrent and chronic profiteering. Review cases where difference between MRP of two brands exceeds 25 per cent. Monitor bonus offers,” he suggested.

Amitava Guha of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan said the government should bargain with the companies while purchasing drugs and PSUs should manufacture drugs for diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer after invoking the clause of compulsory licencing. Dr Meera Shiva of Initiative for Health, Equity and Society called for rational drug policy while activists like Dr Nirmal Gurbani and Leena Menghani stressed for treatment guidelines. But the day-long consultation involving several public interest groups wanted the government to bring all essential drugs under a stern and vigilant price control mechanism.