Free drug modalities to be discussed today
The government’s plan to provide free medicines to cancer patients and subsidised drugs to all through drug banks across the country is set to take off this fiscal.
By Gireesh Chandra Prasad, TNN |
NEW DELHI: The government’s plan to provide free medicines to cancer patients and subsidised drugs to all through drug banks across the country is set to take off this fiscal. The Planning Commission has approved the setting up of a cancer assistance fund and a drug bank scheme that would be part of the 11th Plan document.
It has also made token allocation for both the schemes that would be revised upwards once the chemicals and fertilisers ministry works out modalities for implementation.
Under the cancer assistance fund, the government intends to provide free medicines to all senior citizens, handicapped and poor suffering from the disease. The other scheme is to set up drug banks across the country through which free medicines to those below the poverty line and subsidised medicines to the relatively well-off would be provided.
The ministry’s monitoring and evaluation committee would discuss the features of the proposed scheme on Tuesday. The commission provided token allocation since the department is yet to work out a detailed scheme.
The committee is also likely to discuss utilising the ‘overcharged’ amounts recovered from drug makers for the schemes. Besides, contributions from state governments and the fund available for procurement of medicines under the health ministry’s rural health mission may also be utilised.
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To meet any shortfall in funds, the department may recommend income-tax relief to corporates on their contribution to the drug banks.While they sound good, success of the schemes would mainly depend on their efficient implementation, considering the leakage in the public distribution system and government-run hospitals.
The ministry, which is now making a strong case for cost-based price control of 354 essential medicines, despite the pharma industry’s argument that drug prices form a small fraction of the entire healthcare cost and that market forces would keep prices low.
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