New Delhi, Sept 07: The Supreme Court has sought the Union Government's response to a petition alleging that it did not include vital medicines to fight diseases like diarrhoea and anaemia in the drug price control order (DPCO), critically jeopardising the health of millions of impoverished people. The apex court, which had lambasted the government over non-inclusion of certain essential drugs in the DPCO list, has sought response from ministry of health and ministry of chemicals and fertilisers and directed listing of the petition along with the Centre's appeal challenging a Karnataka High Court order on the National Pharmaceutical Policy, 2002.

A bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare and Justice S B Sinha also issued notices to the Drug Controller of India and national pharmaceutical pricing authority on the petition filed by reputed NGO - All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN).

Petitioners, including NGOs - medico friend circle, low cost standards therapeutics (Locost) and Jan Swasthya Sahyaog (JSS), through advocates Colin Gonsalves and Aparna Bhat contended that a pharmaceutical policy with a strong public health orientation was critical for the cause of the health of millions of poor Indians.
The petitioners alleged that no criteria of scientific pharmacology had been used in deciding drugs in the DPCO, many of which are non-essential, outdated and even hazardous.

Bureau Report