Following complaints of rampant black marketing of antiviral drug Remdesivir, used for treatment of Covid-19, the Union Health Ministry has directed the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to take immediate steps to ensure that the medicine is sold as per its maximum retail price.
Subsequently, the DCGI has asked drug controllers in states and Union Territories to prevent black marketing of Remdesivir which is being sold as high as upto Rs 80,000 in open market in some States even as several hospitals have reported its shortage.
The DCGI has approved restricted emergency use of Remdesivir injectable formulation for the treatment of patients with severe Covid-19 infection.
The warning follows complaints by social media platform LocalCircles which in a letter to the Health Ministry said many citizens on its platform have flagged the issue of alleged black marketing of Remdesivir.
"The MRP of Remdesivir marketed by Hetero Healthcare Limited is Rs 5,400 but consumers have reported it being sold at a price of anywhere between Rs 15,000 to 60,000," LocalCircles said.
DCGI Dr VG Somani, in communication to states and UTs, said, "You are requested to instruct your enforcement officials to keep a strict vigil on the matter to prevent the black marketing and sale of the drug Remdesivir injection above Maximum Retail Price (MRP)," Somani said, adding that action taken in the matter should be intimated to this office at the earliest.
"Various medical shops have been telling buyers that the medicine is in short supply but can be made available if they are ready to pay a premium. It has also been reported that doctors at many private hospitals are directing families to procure and get the medicine themselves," it said.
Such unscrupulous action warrants stringent punishment. “The Government should ensure a mechanism wherein there is no pilferage as well as work on enhancing production to make it within the reach of the needy. I think the price is also too high for poor patients, who have to shell out around Rs 30,000 for the five five vials,” said Dr Rajinder K Dhamija, head of the Neurology Department at Lady Hardinge Medical Hospital in Delhi.