Fair price medical stores should be expanded to provide medicines at low cost for the poor

The government has a responsibility to protect the lives and health of the people. The high cost of medicines to maintain good health is becoming a huge burden on the common man and the poor. The central government has allowed pharmaceutical companies to increase prices by 10.8 per cent on more than 800 medicines, including life-saving drugs. The manufacturers are preparing to implement the price hike on April 1. With the increase in cost of medicines from paracetamol to surgical equipment, the health care of the general public will be a major challenge. Many factors have contributed to the rise in prices, including rising prices for pharmaceutical ingredients. The commission they give for sale of medicines shows that their argument is not valid. The commission is not only for medical shop owners but also for doctors who prescribes. Although it is required to prescribe generic medicines in govt hospitals, it is not usually followed. Medicines which are branded will be prescribed.

The manufacture and sale of medicines is a huge business in the country. With the influx of foreign investment in the pharmaceutical sector, India is one of the most profitable ground for all the world's monopoly pharma companies.

The Central and State Governments are taking various steps which makes the daily life of the people difficult. At a time when governments are slowly withdrawing from even the public health sector, the increasing drug prices are affecting the middle class and lower classes. There are millions of regular drug users, including those with lifestyle diseases. India is said to be the world capital of diabetes. In addition to diabetes, many other conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and neurological disease, require lifelong medication. The medicines for this are already expensive. In addition to medicines, the rising cost of surgical equipment is likely to affect the poor.

The goverment can help the public by opening more Jana Aushadhi Kendras and by strengthening government facilities like Karunya. Drugs are sold at Karunya and Janaseva Kendras at discounts of 15 to 30 per cent. Such systems that are beneficial to the people should be introduced throughout the country. Drugs worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore are sold in the country every year. One can only guess at how high the profits of the companies will be even if there is a ten per cent increase in prices. At a time when the prices of all commodities, including fuels, are being hiked, the practice of substantially increasing the prices of medicines is a great cruelty. Governments need to think about how to save ordinary people from the impact of this and must take necessary action.