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NPPA plans to set up price monitoring cells in all states across country
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
December 30 , 2014
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In order to implement effective price monitoring of drugs and report
violations, NPPA recently held a meeting with all the state drug
controllers in Delhi to set up price modulating cells in all the states
across the country.
With the implementation of the plan,
violations reported will be dealt timely with the help of the state NPPA
cells in case they find any contravention to the provisions of Drug
Price Control Order (DPCO-2013).
"While other states are
awaiting specific directions and notification on this matter from the
pricing regulator, Rajasthan has already trained five drug inspectors
for manning the price modulating cells in Rajasthan," informs Manoj
Tongra, Asst Drug Controller, Rajasthan State Drug Control Department.
Rajasthan
State Drug Control Department is, however, awaiting funds proposed for
setting up the NPPA cell from the Central Government to the tune of Rs. 5.5 crore.
"We
have trained drug inspectors on the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) -
2013 regulation and the actions to be taken upon its violation, aspects
on conducting sample survey in the market of the respective drugs
covered under and outside the DPCO and the method and related modalities
for recovery of the overcharged amount through overpricing of drugs,"
Tongra explains.
There are around 70 drug inspectors in Rajasthan
and around 5 drug inspectors have been trained to take care of
monitoring for the NPPA cell.
"Drug control departments should
have such cells as it is high time that pricing is regulated through an
effective monitoring mechanism," says an official from Food Safety and
Drug Administration, Uttar Pradesh.
To strengthen its network and
make the monitoring of the drug prices better, it has been given to
understand that NPPA plans to set up dedicated administrative cells
within the offices of each of the state drug departments across the
country. While the expenditure related to manpower, amenities and other
infrastructural cost will be borne by the NPPA, state government will
have to provide the space for setting up the office within the state
drug regulatory office.
Under the proposed scheme, the cell is to
be headed by one person along with a team of NPPA officials whose
strength will vary as per the size of the pharma industry in respective
states. A highly placed source informs that the NPPA has categorised the
states based on three categories, i.e. based on maximum, minimum and
least number of pharma cos in the state for better division of work.
They
will be responsible to closely work with the state drug regulators to
find out any discrepancies that affect the consumers. The officials
heading the cell will be required to report their findings to the NPPA
directly in case they find any pharma cos violating the law by selling
the drugs above the ceiling price.
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