The long pending scheme to create state cells for the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to strengthen its network and make the monitoring of the drug prices better, which will be a key element to the new pharmaceutical policy, is likely to be delayed further as approval from the Planning Commission is still awaited.

The scheme, originally proposed to be implemented during the 11th Plan but did not materialise, may not be put into effect during the current Five Year Plan also as the Planning Commission is yet to give its approval for the same, sources said.

Notwithstanding the criticism by the Parliamentary panels and endorsement for the schemes by the expert panels under the Planning Commission, the scheme has not been included or no allocation has been made yet under the current Plan period, it is learnt.

“Out of five components of the scheme for strengthening of NPPA, Planning Commission has accorded in principle approval for two components concerning “Building Robust & Responsive Statistical System for NPPA” and proposal for “Consumer awareness and publicity through Print, Electronic and other medium” in March, 2008 and March 15, 2011 respectively. For the remaining components, Planning Commission vide letter dated 15.3.2011 had intimated that the proposal may be considered to be integrated in 12th Plan schemes of NPPA subject to its relevance and establishment of need,” according to the sources in the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP).

“The DoP on 24.3.2011 requested the Planning Commission to reconsider its decision in respect of the remaining two components, so that the Plan funds allocated for the year 2011-12 do not lapse and are utilized for strengthening NPPA. In response, Planning Commission intimated that the proposal of according ‘in-principle’ approval in respect of two components and the other three schemes were re-examined with the Health Division and forwarded for the views by the working group on drugs and pharmaceuticals for the 12th Plan. The expert group also recommended the schemes, but the approval is yet to come,” sources said.

The Planning Commission had sanctioned Rs.69 crore towards implementation of these schemes during the 11th Plan period. But it could not be utilized. The creation of NPPA cells was more ambitious scheme with more outlay so that the national agency could be strengthened for collecting samples and monitoring the prices, which is going to be a major task under the new pharmaceutical policy.