Lack of efficient central price controlling mechanism in the country is exploited to the hilt by the multinational drug companies and big Indian pharma players to fix unjustifiable prices for medicines with same molecules while the national pharmaceutical pricing authority (NPPA) and the drugs controller general of India (DCGI) are keeping silence on this injustice, alleged retired drug control officers association in Tamil Nadu.

Restrictions like the recent supreme court verdict on Novartis case involving its anti-cancer drug Glivec should come out from the judicial institutions to save the suffering people of the country and to put an end to the exploitations by the MNCs, opined the retired enforcement officials.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, an office-bearer of the association said that the country needs efficient and proper drug price controlling system, adequate legislation and a set of bureaucrats with strong mindset to implement the law in letter and spirit. He said patent rights encourage the big pharma companies to exploit the public under the guise of invention by selling the products at exorbitant rates.

Quoting some examples of exploitations, he said, price for one kilogram of paracetamol costs only Rs.230, the paracetamol injection 100 ml contains one gram of the drug. But it costs about Rs.275 in the market.

Secondly, price for one kilogram of dextrose is Rs.100, and a hundred ml dextrose injection contains only five gram of dextrose and will cost only 50 paise. But the dextrose injection in the market costs Rs.28 per bottle. The same rate is charged for sodium chloride injection IP 500 ml and the combination product of sodium chloride and dextrose. The former regulatory officer said one gram of dextrose costs only 10 paise.

“NPPA and the drug control administration are sleeping over the matter. They are not bothered about the health of the public. The supreme court verdict on patent issue of Novartis has saved the people from the MNC, but what is the solution for the exploitation being done in the case of paracetamol injection and similar preparations,” he asks.

He said without the knowledge of NPPA, certain companies increase the prices of medicines, the regulatory agency is closing their eyes towards this injustice.

NPPA has fixed price for Ciprofloxacin tablet IP 500 mg manufactured by Ranbaxy for Rs.80, but the same product from another company is available at a rate of Rs.16. Similarly, for Doxycycline capsule 100 mg the price is fixed at Rs.5.25 for ten capsules. The same medicine in certain brand names are sold for Rs.45.

According to the former regulators, in 1979 when there were about 400 molecules, 360 were brought under the controlled category. Today when there are about one thousand molecules, only 70 of them are brought under DPCO, and that too for name sake only.