Supreme Court questions government over drug pricing and hospital markups
The Supreme Court has questioned the government over why medicines are so pricey, especially when hospitals mark them up way above what they paid.
This comes as the court considers a case asking for fairer drug prices, affordable medicines, and reforms in drug pricing and medical regulation.
The judges pointed out delays in putting limits on trade margins for selected anti-cancer drugs, especially at 30% of the MRP, even though the government recently capped margins at 30% for some of them.
Medicine pricing could change in India
The government says it's trying to balance cheap medicines with industry growth, but the court isn't convinced about how medicine prices are set in the first place.
Hospitals argue they need these markups to keep running.
Whatever the Supreme Court decides could shake up how medicines are priced across India, so this could mean real changes for anyone who needs regular treatment or worries about medical bills.