SC shocked by 10x cancer drug prices
Terming it a “broad daylight dacoity” against patients, the Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed shock over the overpricing of essential cancer medicines, noting that one drug carried an MRP of Rs 27,000 despite being supplied to retailers for `2,700.
“It is very surprising that the authorities who are supposed to take action on this are silent,” a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said.
The observations came when the apex court was hearing two petitions which raised drug-related issues, including that of ensuring strict price control over medicines. The court termed it “absolutely shocking” that the printed MRP of an essential cancer drug was `27,000 when the price to retailer (PTR) was `2,700.
SC shocked by 10x cancer drug prices
“The MRP is 10 times the rate at which it is provided to the retailers. If this is not extortion, then what it is? People sell their houses, ornaments to get treatment,” the bench said.
“There are essential medicines for cancer on which the MRP is printed as Rs 27,000 while the PTR is Rs 2,700. This is absolute rampage and carnage. This is broad daylight dacoity with patients,” it said.
The bench questioned how the patients could be cheated like this.
“It is very surprising that the authorities who are supposed to take action on this are silent,” it said.
One of the petitioners told the bench that his plea also raises the issue concerning prescription of generic medicines by registered medical practitioners. He said that fixing MRP of medicines was of critical importance.
Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre in one of the pleas, said the Government was not treating it as an adversarial litigation.
The bench observed that price fixation was a major issue. It posted the matter for further hearing on September 29.
One of the petitions sought a direction to authorities to make drug formulations more cost-effective by preventing alleged unethical overpricing of essential medicines by pharma companies and retailers.
It also sought directions to ensure strict price control under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, to prevent violations of the price-fixing mechanism in the drug supply chain and disproportionate profit-making by retailers through unfair trade practices.
The other plea has sought disciplinary action against medical practitioners for not prescribing generic medicines to patients.
