New drug policy in final stage: Paswan

New Delhi, May 25 (UNI) The printing of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) inclusive of all taxes on all drugs and medicines in the country will become mandatory from July 1, 2006, the Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today.

Addressing newsmen here, Mr Paswan said the UPA Government has taken this initiative to provide relief to the common man.

He said the draft finalisation of the new drug policy is almost ready and it would be sent to all Ministries and Departments for their comments from June 15 . There after it would be placed before the cabinet for its approval.

Mr Paswan disclosed that from October 2, this year it would become mandatory for all the drug manufacturers to print the price, name of the manufacturer and its date of expiry in both Hindi and English for the benefit of the consumers.

He admitted that the government has no control over the prices of Cancer and HIV drugs as both these were produced internationally.

But the Government is relentlessly working on how best to reduce the prices of all those drugs those are being locally produced here, he added.

Mr Paswan said to put a check on prices of medicines produced by unbranded companies is a big problem. In order to bring in some uniformity the government is working on various solutions like fixation of maximum commission/margins of dealers as well as retailers .

He said this effort has already started showing results and the prices of various unbranded drugs have declined by two to thirty per cent.

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