Govt widens composition of drug, medical devices pricing reforms panel

New Delhi: The government has expanded the composition of a committee formed to look into pricing reforms for drugs and medical devices by including civil rights activists, representing patients and consumers, like All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN), Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation, and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). A new Drug (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) may be in the works, considering the current DPCO 2013 is already more-than-a-decade old.

The committee will look into the reforms in pricing for drugs and medical devices. The committee will evaluate the availability of medicines and medical devices and the pricing of essential medicines while providing incentives to the industry to maintain growth and build sustainability in exports.

"With the approval of the competent authority, a committee is constituted for reforms in the Pricing Framework for drugs and medical devices," the government order said.

The committee will see how to balance price and availability of essential medicines, while providing incentives to the industry to sustain growth and exports. It will also look into institutional reforms within the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

It will also look into designing a price moderation framework for medical devices while providing incentives to the industry to sustain growth and minimise imports.

To make sure that the emerging therapies reach the patients on time, the committee will design a price moderation framework for such therapies.

A committee will submit its report within three months.

Officials say that a new framework to regulate both drugs and medical devices is important as the earlier Drug Prices Control order deals only with the medicines.