A Kerala Cure For Healthcare Con

Patients and kin may be in for some relief as state-level price monitoring of medical devices and drugs kicks in

- Lola Nayar

FROM being dependent on data supplied by manufacturers or complaints from patients or their aggrieved families, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is soon expected to have more eyes and ears on the ground. Several states led by Kerala are taking steps to better serve the regulatory authority. By the end of February or early March, Kerala expects to have its price monitoring and research unit (PMRU) in operation.

“The NPPA had wanted every state to have a monitoring unit; now they want it to be done through a registered society,” says Ravi S. Menon, Kerala’s state drugs controller. “By early next month, once the hiring of staff and other infrastructure issues have been dealt with, Kerala hopes to have its registered society in operation.” To be headed by the state health secretary, the society will have representatives from the pharmaceutical industry and consumer rights groups, besides government officials, including the drugs controller, who will head the executive committee.

The PMRU will keep tabs on the prices and quality of drugs being sold, focusing primarily on overcharging. The NPPA currently controls the prices of nearly 1,000 drugs and medical devices. Earlier this month, the health ministry had notified the inclusion of eight more medical equipment in the ‘drugs’ category under Section 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and they too would come under price control from April next year. With this, all implantable medical devices and CT scan equipment, among others, would hopefully become cheaper. Many of these products are now being sold through drug stores and hospitals with 100-400 per cent trade margins over their procurement prices.