By Admin 
Government Approves Price Hike For Cisplatin And Carboplatin: The effect of the ongoing tension between Iran and Israel-America is visible all over the world. The prices of food items, petrol, diesel and gas are increasing in the country and now its effect can be seen on medicines also, due to which cancer patients may face problems. In fact, the government has approved a special increase in the prices of cisplatin and carboplatin, two important drugs used in chemotherapy. There was a continuous shortage of these medicines across the country, which was affecting the treatment of cancer patients.
Its impact across the country
The matter had become so serious that the availability of these medicines even in the major cancer institutes and hospitals of the country started getting affected. Institutions like Delhi-based AIIMS and Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Center had also expressed concern about this shortage. Doctors say that these medicines are used in the treatment of many types of cancer including lung, head and neck, cervical, ovary and testicular cancer. The special thing is that there is no completely similar alternative available to use in their place.
Why is there shortage of medicines?
According to experts, the biggest reason for the shortage of medicines is the rising prices of platinum. Platinum is the main raw material from which these medicines are manufactured. In the last few years, platinum prices have increased by up to 225 percent, while in the last six months alone its price has almost doubled. The supply chain has also been affected due to production challenges in South Africa and the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
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Why did the government increase the price?
On the other hand, the prices of these medicines were under government control for a long time. Due to the price limit set under the Drug Price Control Order, companies were not able to increase prices despite rising costs. As a result, many pharmaceutical companies reduced production or in some cases even closed it, affecting supply in the market. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the government has decided to use Para 19 of DPCO 2013. This is a special provision, under which the government can take a decision different from the normal price control rules if the availability of an essential medicine is affected. Through this provision, the way has been cleared for revision of prices of cisplatin and carboplatin.
According to media reports, a committee has recommended that an increase of up to 10 percent every year after the last pricing date can be considered as the basis, while the total increase should not exceed 50 percent. However, the decision on final revision of prices will be taken keeping in mind the actual increase in drug manufacturing cost.
treatment could have been delayed
Experts believe that if the shortage of these medicines had continued for a long time, there could have been a delay in the treatment of patients. This could have increased the risk of cancer returning and also affected patients’ chances of recovery and survival. The government hopes that after the price revision, domestic companies will start production on a large scale again. This will improve the supply and essential medicines will be available to cancer patients on time.
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