Want certainty and predictability in price control mechanism for drugs: OPPI

While pharma industry supports government's initiatives to provide medicines at affordable price to the people, it wants certainty and predictability in the price control mechanism, the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) said. The industry body said it aims to make sure that innovative drugs that are available in the rest of the world are made available in India as soon possible.

"The certainty and predictability of price control mechanism is very important for us. What we want is clarity and stable policies so that we can plan and anticipate in advance," OPPI President and Glaxo SmithKline Pharmaceuticals MD India & Vice President South Asia A Vaidheesh told PTI. OPPI is not against any of the government initiatives to give medicines at affordable prices to the people, he said.

"As a body we also want to understand how to provide medicines at affordable price through healthcare financing mechanism," Vaidheesh said. He said the industry is evaluating how to participate in Ayushman Bharat to make sure that common men gets access to latest products through the financing schemes, he added.

"We also want that drugs that are already very cheap should not be in the price control mechanism," Vaidheesh said. He pointed out that it was essential to maintain the quality of generic medicines.

OPPI also announced the launch of a nationwide digital campaign #RefreshingResearch across pharma colleges in the country to highlight the role of science and research in improving patient lives. Established in 1965, OPPI represents the research-based pharmaceutical companies in India.