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NPPA to discuss identification marks for drugs under ceiling price with trade, BDCDA wants red color on packs
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Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
February 27 , 2015
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The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Association (NPPA) has insisted that
all medicines packs for sale need to display distinguishing mark to
identify a scheduled formulation having a ceiling price notification
under DPCO 2013 . In this regard, NPPA has called for a meeting of
pharmacy trade sector on February 27 to discuss and deliberate the pros
and cons of the same.
The Bangalore District Chemists and
Druggists Association (BDCDA) has expressed its inability to be present
for the NPPA meeting in New Delhi but insisted that a red mark would be
best solution to distinguish the scheduled formulations coming under
ceiling price from other packs displayed on the shelves of
chemists-druggists outlets.
In a communication to NPPA, Hari
Krishnan, president, The Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists
Association, said that red would be the best colour to catch the eye of
the drug dispenser in pharmacy outlets.
“We also suggest that
only the manufacturer of these scheduled formulations coming under the
ceiling price should be allowed to market the drug. This was primarily
to ensure that these manufacturers would be responsible for any
violations under the DPCO 2013,” he added.
The BDCDA also pointed
out that the manufacturer should be held for any discrepancy of the
scheduled formulation even if he was not engaged in marketing the
product. This is because the manufacturer is one that is responsible for
packaging of the scheduled formulation.
Therefore, the
wholesaler or distributor engaged in the sale of the scheduled
formulation under ceiling price would not be accountable for any
overcharging of drug which is printed on the pack. The BDCDA also
insists that the chemists and druggists will need to a prepare a price
list in Form V to enable display on retail counters. Now pharmacy trade
needs to do this because the manufacturers and marketing company do not
provide the price list to the retailers even for the branded
formulations. The burden to note the pricing is on the onus of the
wholesaler, pointed out Krishnan.
The BDCDA president further
indicated to the NPPA, that it was not possible to display the price
list of all branded formulations exhibited for sale at retailer outlets.
It was high time that the government granted the manufacturing licenses
only based on formulations and not the brands. “The concept of brands
need to be omitted in the DPCO 2013 and it must not only focus on
issuing licenses to formulation,” said Krishnan.
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