Cancer drugs will be cheaper in 384 major drugs

Life-saving drugs, including those used for cancer treatment and palliative care, neurological disorders, diabetes, tuberculosis and heart disease, are set to become affordable as they are included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).

The central government has notified 384 such important life-saving drugs and brought them under price control.

The prices of these drugs are regulated by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA).

With this revised list notified on November 12, all hospitals—government and private—are required to keep a substantial stock of these medicines.

There are 34 additions to the list, while 26 drugs such as Ranitidine, Atenolol and Methyldopa have been removed.

Drugs are added or removed on the basis of their cost, effectiveness and quick availability.

“Drugs used in primary, secondary and tertiary level hospitals have come under NLEM. These include drugs used in anesthesia, ophthalmic drugs, anticancer agents including immunosuppressive, and drugs used in palliative care, drugs used to treat arthritis and disease modifying drugs used in rheumatoid disorders. agents, drugs used in neurological disorders and cardiac drugs. notification.

“Also, drugs used in anti-allergic and anaphylaxis, antidotes and other substances used in the management of poison and poisoning, drugs used in dementia, anti-infective drugs, anti-bacterial drugs, anti-leprosy drugs , anti-tuberculosis drugs, antiviral drugs, drugs used in the management of HIV, drugs used in hepatitis B and hepatitis C,” the notification said.

Delhi’s drug regulator KR Chawla said, “The drugs and medicines are examined and finalized by a group of experts following WHO guidelines. These are the drugs that should mandatorily be stored in bulk in all government hospitals.” Government is bringing quality medicines at affordable prices.”

In September, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had announced that the government was working to revise the list of essential medicines and bring them under price regulation. NLEM was last revised in 2015 with 376 drugs.