The second meeting of the joint committee formed to address issues relating to drug pricing mechanism under the proposed National Pharmaceutical Policy was held on Monday with the industry and government "moving towards building a consensus".
"Issues relating to public-private-partnership (PPP) on how to help people below poverty line get access to medicines and how to reach a consensus on drug pricing mechanism were discussed," an official source said.
There has been positive developments on PPP with the industry expressing willingness to partner the government, the source said.
"A movement towards building a consensus on many issues has been made," the official said.
The next meeting of the 14-member committee, headed by Secretary Department of Chemical and Petrochemicals Satwant Reddy is scheduled to be held in Mumbai.
The committee has been mandated to look into six issues, including public-private partnership to help below poverty line families, concessional prices for government procurement, competition to contain prices, monitoring (when price fluctuation of drugs exceed 20 per cent in a year) to replace price control regime.
Besides, it will also help the industry and the ministry to work jointly and reach a consensus on interpreting the Supreme Court's order on making essential drugs affordable to the common man.
{{/usCountry}}Besides, it will also help the industry and the ministry to work jointly and reach a consensus on interpreting the Supreme Court's order on making essential drugs affordable to the common man.
{{/usCountry}}It has 11 members from the industry and three from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers and is expected to submit its report by September 30.