Rs 294.84 cr deposited by drug firms for overcharging in FY17

Pharmaceutical firms have deposited Rs 294.84 crore in the current fiscal so far against demand notices issued by the government for overcharging patients for scheduled drugs, Parliament was informed today.
As on February 28, 2017, Rs 294.84 crore has been deposited for 2016-17 by pharmaceutical companies against demand notices issued by government for overcharging patients for scheduled medicines, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Mansukh L Mandaviya told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
There were 120 cases of overcharging in the period, he added.
The provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order "empower the government to direct the manufacturer to deposit the overcharged amount along with the interest thereon from the date of overcharging, in addition to the penalty," Mandaviya said.

In a separate reply, he said that of the 23 medical devices regulated as 'drugs', only three devices namely condom, intra uterine device containing copper and coronary stents have been included in the Schedule-I of DPCO, 2013, and are under price control.