Medicines costing less than Rs 5 per dose may be taken out of price control

Medicines costing less than Rs 5 per dose may be taken out of price control as the country’s National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is being updated, according to sources in the industry and government. 

If this goes through, drugmakers will have the liberty to raise the prices of these drugs by up to 10 per cent every year. 

The Standing National Committee on Medicine (SNCM), which is updating the 2015 list, is likely to meet early next week (starting November 4) to have a stakeholders’ meeting.

While around 19 per cent of the Rs 1.36 trillion domestic drug market