Topics Covered: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Scheduled drugs’ list:
Context:
Bombay High Court has asked the Centre to include Remdesivir in the list of scheduled drugs and to regulate its pricing.
- The direction came while the Bench was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) petition on the shortage of oxygen, non-availablity of Remdesivir, Tocilizumab injections, and hospital beds in Nagpur district.
Other measures suggested by the Court:
The court also said that it is possible to regulate the pricing if a liberal interpretation is given to the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act (DCA).
- The provisions of the DCA allow restriction or regulation of prices of a drug that was essential during a natural calamity or epidemic.
- Both the Drugs Control Act and DCA enable the central government to issue a notification to fix rates of essential drugs during an epidemic.
Need for:
If the powers conferred on the Central government are exercised, it will go a long way. It will stop extortion of money from families of COVID-19 patients, and will also put a full stop to the black-marketing of the drug.
Background:
The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 contains provisions for classification of drugs under given schedules and there are guidelines for the storage, sale, display and prescription of each schedule.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- Classification of drugs in India.
- Schedule H vs X drugs.
- Important drugs under this schedule.
Mains Link:
What are scheduled drugs? How are they classified? Discuss.
Sources: the Hindu.
