New Delhi: Expressing concern over the decision to hike prices of eight essential drugs by 50 per cent, the Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an independent review committee to assess the impact on patients and healthcare of the price rise.
In a letter to Modi, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said he was writing to express his concern regarding the recent decision by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to increase the ceiling prices of eight commonly-used drugs by 50 per cent.
In his letter, shared on X, the Congress MP from Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar said, “While I understand that the government cited 'extraordinary circumstances' and 'public interest' as reasons for this increase, I believe it is crucial to clarify the rationale behind such a significant decision."
"This price hike affects vital medications for conditions like asthma, tuberculosis, bipolar disorder, and glaucoma, which are essential for millions of citizens," he said.
Many patients and their families already face financial challenges in accessing necessary treatments, he highlighted and added that a sudden increase in medicine prices can place an additional burden on these individuals, potentially compromising their health outcomes.
"I urge the government to provide a more detailed explanation of the extraordinary circumstances that necessitated this price hike. Furthermore, I propose the establishment of an independent review committee to assess the real impact of this increase on patients and healthcare providers," he said in the letter dated October 25.
He said such a committee could offer recommendations for future pricing policies that balance industry viability with public health needs.
"Transparency in this decision-making process is vital to maintaining public trust. A thorough review could lead to informed policies ensuring that essential medicines remain affordable and accessible for all," Tagore said.
"I look forward to your response and hope for a resolution that prioritises the wellbeing of our citizens," Tagore said.
On October 14, the Union Health Ministery announced that NPPA had approved the increase in 11 scheduled formulations of eight drugs by 50 per cent of their current ceiling prices. The ministry said the decision was taken after NPPA received applications from manufacturers for upward revision of prices citing various reasons, including the increased cost of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients; increase in the cost of production; change in exchange rate, etc; resulting in unviability in sustainable production and marketing of drugs.
“Companies have also applied for discontinuation of some of the formulations on account of their unviability,” the ministry had said.