Medicines for the ailing, have sadly become a commercial commodity in the market of greed. The medicine mafia has tightened its grip on the market, vandalizing the rate structure with impunity. The common man is forced to buy life-saving drugs at exorbitant rates. They have no idea of what the actual price should be. It is a chaotic situation. Every chemist seems to have his price list. Patients are left helpless and frustrated. It has been observed that there is rampant unethical medical trade in umpteen states of the country.
One should not forget that health cannot be a profit arena. When medicine becomes business and traders dictate the terms, humanity itself suffers.
LET DRUGS BE NOT PRICED FOR THE POCKET
It’s high time the system ensures that life-saving drugs are priced not for the pockets of, traders, but for the welfare of the people.Medicine,
which are supposed to save lives, have become instruments of exploitation.
Across India in many pharmacies and medical stores, the same drug is being sold at different prices, exposing the deep-rooted disorder and lack of regulation in this vital sector.
Health is not a commodity to be traded for profit, and the ongoing disorder in medicine pricing is a blot on the system’s conscience. The irony is that the government has a system of Maximum Retail Price (MRP), but in practice, it remains a paper rule. There is little monitoring, and enforcement agencies appear either toothless or complicit. The absence of price uniformity not only burdens patients financially but also erodes public trust in the medical trade.
Essential drugs are not luxury goods
The authorities must wake up to this alarming situation. A strong regulatory mechanism is urgently needed to curb arbitrary pricing and bring transparency in billing. Surprise inspections, strict penalties for violators, and digital record monitoring could help restore order.
The government must ensure that every medicine carries a clear and verified retail price. They should impose strict penalties on those found overcharging.
Accountability needs to be fixed. Regular inspections should become the norm rather than a rarity. Otherwise, the medicine mafia will continue to thrive. The common man will keep paying the price, literally and painfully.
(Dr Naresh Purohit is Executive Member of the Federation of Hospital Administrator. The views expressed are that of the author)
