ForumIAS LATEST
- SFG FRC 2027 | Program starts from 18th Dec. 2026 | Admissions open for Entrance Test Click Here to know more →
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- [Pre-order] Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: Delivery starts from 10th October onwards Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 11th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
- According to World Health Organisation (WHO),around 40% of the essential medicines in India are priced significantly higher than estimated production costs.This shows the amount of profiteering done by pharmaceutical companies and the scope for lowering the prices of drugs.
- The drugs used for cancer,hepatitis C and off patent drugs which are in the market for long and commonly used for diseases like HIV,tuberculosis and malaria are priced very high with huge margins over their cost of production.
- This results in high expenditure which pushes people into poverty.In India over 75% of health expenditure is out-of-pocket,of which the major chunk is spent on medicines.This is despite India being a manufacturing hub and the biggest supplier of low cost generic medicines to the world.
- Further,most of the high-priced medicines in India were found only in the private market which suggests a lack of availability in public facilities.
