To crack the whip on drug companies National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is set to launch an online database that will help to track fraudulent activities such as overcharging, drug shortages, and evasion of drug pricing control order among others.
Drug makers, in next three to four months, will have to fill the mandatory forms online, which were otherwise filled manually. The drug price regulator will now track the developments through a comprehensive online software. At present, it is dependent on drug pricing information from outsourced agencies.
“All the mandatory reporting by companies on prices of scheduled drugs, production of scheduled drugs and prices of branded scheduled and non –scheduled drugs will move online,” Injeti Srinivas, chairman, NPPA told HT.
“It will make work flow automatic and will highlight discrepancies on prices, production, drug availability in a few minutes which till now was done manually. Eventually, it will also make it difficult for companies to evade drug pricing control orders.”
NPPA is planning to create a platform where it can interact with all stakeholders including pharmacists, manufacturers, state governments, and social health experts. The new database and software will get accurate details on availability of drugs in every nook and corner of the country, claims NPPA. “Primarily, we are dependent on state governments for the information of drugs availability across states. Otherwise, we don’t get to know about shortage until there is no public outcry,” Srinivas said.
{{/usCountry}}NPPA is planning to create a platform where it can interact with all stakeholders including pharmacists, manufacturers, state governments, and social health experts. The new database and software will get accurate details on availability of drugs in every nook and corner of the country, claims NPPA. “Primarily, we are dependent on state governments for the information of drugs availability across states. Otherwise, we don’t get to know about shortage until there is no public outcry,” Srinivas said.
{{/usCountry}}It is also mulling a central scheme for financial assistance for setting price monitoring units across the country where it would hire young professionals to work with all stakeholders to track deviations.
“The feedback would make our enforcements and audits much accurate and stricter as presently, we are dependent on state governments and third parties to collect samples and report discrepancies,” Srinivas said.