The National Pharmaceutical Advisory Forum planned at the behest of Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, is to meet for the first time next week. The C&F ministry has invited NGO representatives and major drug industry associations to be part of the meeting scheduled on February 11th, it is learnt.

The forum aims to create a direct interface between the policy makers, industry representatives and consumer organisations on the crucial issue of drugs pricing.

As per the initial plan, the total number of representatives at the proposed forum is 160, of which 58 have to come from the NGO representation. The industry had even expressed its protest over the structure of the forum as their representation was limited to five while consumer organisations were allotted 58 seats. The final form of the forum is yet to be cleared. The minister's plan is to allow the forum to monitor the price structure and availability of medicines in the country in an advisory capacity. The forum is to hold regular meetings to advise the government on the drug pricing issues.

The minister wanted the forum to collect grass-root level information about the availability and affordability of medicines so as to influence the pricing policy of the government.

If the minister's plan materialises, the forum will have, have health ministers and health secretaries of all states as its members, apart from NGOs and representatives from drug trade associations.

Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA), Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA), All India Small Scale Drug Manufacturers Association, and several state level industry bodies are to be part of the forum.