Doctor MPs support drug price control

The NGOs' demand for price control on all medicines is finding more support from within Parliament. For instance, The Indian Medical Parliamentarians' Forum (IMPF), a recently-formed group of parliamentarians who are medical graduates, came out with a policy note suggesting the need to make medicines more accessible and affordable.

The members of the IMPF cut across party lines and include Karan Singh Yadav, M Jagannath and Farooq Abdullah, among others.

The note, circulated among MPs, dwells on a number of issues, including pricing.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, the patron, say he got more information from the note than official briefings. Incidentally, Ramadoss is a member of the group of ministers (GoM) that is looking into the pharma policy.

R Senthil, convener-secretary of the forum, says, "Many sections responded positively and appreciated it. Recently, at the first international conference of parliamentarians on AIDS in Manila, the chairperson recommended that the note be circulated to all the guests." Senthil said the pharma policy would be discussed at the next IMPF meeting.

The draft pharma policy, proposed by Chemicals And Fertiliser Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, is currently with a GoM headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.

Meanwhile, a national convention of 'pharmaceutical policy and people', organised yesterday by four civil society groups "" Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, the Federation of Medical Representatives Associations of India, All India Drug Action Network and National Campaign Committee on Drug Policy ""turned significant due to the presence of parliamentarians, especially from the Left.

CPI(M) MP Santasri Chatterjee assured the convention he would take up the issue in the Budget session of Parliament.

The convention called for a national pharmaceutical policy that addresses the critical issue of universal access to essential medicines and national self-reliance in drug manufacturing.

Paswan's draft policy also talks about expanding the scope of price control on medicines by capping the prices of all essential medicines.

The GoM on pharma policy, constituted eight months ago, has met twice and heard the industry and the government views.

The third hearing, the date for which is yet to be announced, is expected to take a final view.