Capping Drug Prices Is Not the Answer to High Pvt Healthcare Costs

Posted on by Dr Shibal Bhartiya

Published in The Quint, 11 May 2018 | view original article

While the intent of the proposed cap on pricing is commendable, its execution may not be the easiest.

Dr Shibal Bhartiya

Published: 

The public healthcare system in India is, to say the least, a disaster. The burden of healthcare delivery has fallen on private providers, the triumvirate consisting of hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry and doctors. All three of these sections have been under attack for concerns regarding alleged high medical costs and unethical practices, at various times.

All attempts by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), the government agency that regulates prices, and the government to cap profits by hospitals and pharmaceutical companies have been received with much applause by patients, only to be shelved in the absence of true political will, and actual reform when it comes to real-world considerations. Also, some of them, in hindsight have proven to be against the larger interests of those they aim to protect, the patients.

Read more here 

Published by Dr Shibal Bhartiya

Dr Shibal Bhartiya is a fellowship-trained glaucoma specialist and Mayo Clinic Research Collaborator, and Clinical Director at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram. She has 25+ years of experience in glaucoma diagnosis, treatment, and surgery, with a focus on early detection, personalised care, and long-term vision protection. Her other focus areas include neuro-ophthalmology and ocular surfaced diseases. Trained from the prestigious University of Geneva, AIIMS (New Delhi) and MAMC (New Delhi) she is known for her compassionate, and ethical practice in Gurgaon. She has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, including 94 PubMed-indexed publications and edited 28 textbooks in ophthalmology. She serves as Executive Editor of the Journal of Current Glaucoma Practice and Editor-in-Chief of Clinical and Experimental Vision and Eye Research. Her research spans the biology of glaucoma, surgical outcomes, health equity, quality of life, and emerging diagnostics. She collaborates with leading institutions including Mayo Clinic, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre, and Singapore National Eye Centre. In addition to comprehensive eye care for adults and children, she especially offers independent glaucoma second opinions for patients across India and abroad, and works in partnership with referring eye doctors to support complex and long-term glaucoma care as well as management of neuro-ophthalmological conditions.