CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The five-member committee chaired by Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (health) will also review various other issues pertaining to the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP).

Detailed explanation-2: -NPPA is an organization of the Government of India which was established, inter alia, to fix/ revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995.

Detailed explanation-3: -If the manufacturer sells at a higher rate, then he is liable to pay the overcharged amount as a fine with interest from the date of overcharging. The Government can anytime fix the maximum price or retail price for a drug for a certain period.

Detailed explanation-4: -improve technological development, take effective Quality Control measures on drugs, reduce the prices of medicines. as well as to rationalise the prices tructure, provide essential drugs throughout the country, and make available raw materials to the industry particularly to the small-scale sector, etc.

Detailed explanation-5: -The maximum retail price of a new drug shall be fixed by the manufacturers on the basis of retail price determined by the Government plus local taxes wherever applicable.