Even after declaration of drugs price control circular by Central Government four months ago, citizens of Chhattisgarh are forced to purchase costly medicines, thanks to the chemists not keeping low price drugs in their stock.
Organisation of medicine traders however claimed that a list of 250 low price drugs has been sent to all retailers with a rider to return the costly medicines to their manufacturers concerned and sell only low priced new medicines.
The drug traders association expressed the hope that people in the State will soon be made available low priced medicines.Notably, the Central Government has put 378 allopathic drugs on the price control list and after considering their average prices has fixed the new price.
Under this circular prices of medicines have come down from 30 to 70 percent. The Union Government had issued notification in this regard on May 15 this year.
According to the circular, sale of the low price medicines had to start within 45 days after the notification but so far even after passing of more than 4 months those medicines are in no sight.
According to sources, to avoid bearing the losses the drug manufacturers reportedly filed a petition in the Delhi High Court demanded more time for returning the old stock of medicines from their stockists. In turn the High Court, while granting one month’s extra time, asked the drug manufacturers to take back their high cost old stock of medicines from the market and provide new low priced medicines to the stockists as well as retailers.
Following the High Court directives, some of the drug companies lifted the old stock of high priced medicines from the market but a number of others are not taking back old stocks fearing heavy losses. In this situation, retailers are forced to sell those medicines on high prices.
On the other hand, spokesman of drug traders Association Ashwani Vig claimed that though the Union government has reduced the prices of 378 allopathic medicines in May this year, but most of these low priced medicines did not reach the drug sellers as yet.
Since the manufacturers too are not lifting their old stocks from the market, retailers are forced to sell high cost medicines, impact of which is ultimately borne by common man.
According to Vig, after the issuance of Central Government circular, prices of allopathic drugs have come down by 30 to 70 per cent.
While prices of anti spasmodic injections have come down substantially, tablets of Iron have become cheaper by 40 per cent whereas anti AIDS drugs too have become cheaper by 70 per cent.
Prices of other drugs too have come down substantially but due to unavailability, retailers are selling old stock of drugs at high price.
Vig claimed that a circular have been issued to all stockists and retailer chemists to return the old stock of medicines to their respective manufacturers and demand new low price drugs so that common man does not suffer any more. The retailers have also been sent a list of 250 low price medicines.