Kolkata Doctor Protests Price Rise of Drugs, Stresses Why It Is A Bitter Pill for Patients with Chronic Illness

A doctor from Kolkata has started a protest over rising prices of medicines, especially for patients suffering from chronic diseases. Associate professor at IPGMER and SSKM Hospital Dr Yogiraj Roy, also DM in infectious disease (AIIMS, Delhi) has written a letter to medical representatives (MR) of West Bengal over rising prices, and warned of unaffordable modern medicine practices.

The letter, which Roy shared on Twitter, said most of the patients suffering from chronic diseases cannot afford more than three drugs. Therefore, the MRs should mention the name of the medicine and its cost so that the drug can be prescribed to the patient basis its cost. “We are heading for an unaffordable modern medicine. Please consider the price hike in field of medicine. Most of the patients cannot buy more than three drugs for chronic usage.”

Dr Yogiraj Roy told News18, “Prices are soaring, and for some medicines, the rates have increased more than 20%. It’s a huge problem for patients of chronic disease who have to consume more medicines. If this is the trend then where will common people go? If we are looking for generic medicines, then why should we meet medical representatives? In fact, the price rise will create fear amongst patients and they will fall for alternative medicines, which is not right.”

There is often a nexus between the medical practitioners and representatives in selling off and prescribing drugs.

Puspen Chatterjee of the Federation of Medical Representative Association said, “Whatever this doctor (Yogiraj Roy) has written, we agree with it. Prices are increasing. We have said that the GST should not be implemented on medicines… it’s not right. We are doing our job. Government has to take the call.”

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority of India had recently capped the prices of 23 drugs of specific companies. The order said the companies who will not follow the new prices will have to pay overcharge for non-compliance. The new list of prices of key drug formulations, including for diabetes, have also been fixed.

The retailers in Kolkata, however, are in doubt if the new pricing would be applicable to similar medicines from different manufacturers. For example, the price of Paracetamol and Tramadol HCL, which are used by doctors widely for back pain, muscle pain, is around Rs 8 for each tablet. Other companies sell medicines with similar formulations for Rs 13-14 per tablet.

Prithbi Bose, Bengal Chemist and Druggist Association, said, “We don’t want this tax to be implemented on medicines. We are also appealing to the Centre so that taxes are removed…”

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