Speed Post News Network
New Delhi: Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar on Monday appealed to the industry leaders, state governments, other departments and civil society in pooling efforts to make available medicines at affordable prices to the common man.
Speaking at a function in New Delhi on the occasion of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) Foundation Day on August 29, 2016, he said that in the last two and a half years, almost 900 formulations have been brought under the price control providing a saving of about Rs 5,000 crore to the consumers. He said that the NPPA has already come out with ceiling price of 368 new drugs within 6 months of the issue of New National List of Essential Medicines-2015.
The Minister launched a mobile App. developed by NPPA which shows the MRP fixed by NPPA for various scheduled drugs on real time basis, according to a PIB release. He said that application will be called “Pharma Sahi Daam”.
Minister Ananth Kumar said that the pharmaceutical industry has risen to almost US$ 37 billion and Indian medicines are being exported to over 200 countries. Pharmaceutical is a sunrise industry and the government is keen to provide support to it through various means like pharmaceutical parks, medical devices parks, pharmaceutical clusters and promotion of innovation through Atal Innovation Scheme, according to PIB release.