4 hrs ago
Supreme Court Questions Tenfold Cancer Drug Markup as 'Dacoity'
The Supreme Court heard complaints about the prices of cancer medicines.
The judges learned that one medicine had a printed price of Rs 27,000.
Retailers reportedly received it for only Rs 2,700.
This meant the printed price was ten times higher than the retailer price.
The judges called this unfair to patients and compared it to “broad daylight dacoity.”
They said many families sell homes or jewellery to pay for treatment.
The petitions ask the authorities to control medicine prices more strictly.
Another request asks doctors to prescribe generic medicines.
The court will hear the matter again on September 29.
The Supreme Court called it “broad daylight dacoity” that a cancer drug priced at Rs 27,000 was supplied to retailers for Rs 2,700.
Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned why authorities had not acted against the alleged overpricing.
The observations came during hearings on petitions seeking stricter controls on essential medicine prices.
One petition seeks enforcement of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, against excessive margins and unfair trade practices.
Another petition seeks disciplinary action against doctors who do not prescribe generic medicines.
- Who
- A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard petitions involving drug pricing and generic prescriptions; the Centre was represented by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj.
- What
- The court questioned the alleged tenfold gap between a cancer drug’s retailer price of Rs 2,700 and its printed MRP of Rs 27,000.
- Where
- Before the Supreme Court.
- When
- The observations were made on Tuesday, and the matter was posted for further hearing on September 29.
- Why
- The petitions seek stricter control of essential medicine prices, enforcement of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, and action concerning prescriptions of generic medicines.
Key facts
- Cancer drug MRP
- Rs 27,000
- Price to retailer
- Rs 2,700
- Price difference
- The MRP was ten times the price to retailers.
- Court bench
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
- Relevant regulation
- Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013
- Next hearing
- September 29
- Government representative
- Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj
Quotes
Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
Supreme Court judges hearing petitions on medicine pricing
“There are essential medicines for cancer on which the MRP is printed as Rs 27,000 while the PTR is Rs 2,700. This is absolute rampage and carnage. This is broad daylight dacoity with patients,”
telegraphindia.com
“The MRP is 10 times the rate at which it is provided to the retailers. If this is not extortion, then what it is? People sell their houses, ornaments to get treatment,”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
Related news
Maharashtra FDA Flags Huge Markups on Hospital Consumables
Maharashtra Hospitals Face Scrutiny Over Steep Medical Item Markups
Maharashtra official flags steep medical-device markups, seeks pricing oversight
Maharashtra FDA Seeks Price Caps on Hospital Devices
Maharashtra FDA Seeks Transparency After Survey Finds Huge Device Markups
Maharashtra FDA Flags 2,800% Markups on Hospital Consumables
SC Hears Pleas on Filling CIC, SIC Vacancies