Medicines have sadly become a commercial commodity in the market of greed.

New Delhi: Medicines for the ailing citizens, have sadly become a commercial commodity in the market of greed.
The medicine mafia has tightened its grip on the market, vandalizing the rate structure with impunity. The common man is forced to buy life-saving drugs at exorbitant rates without any idea of what the actual price should be. It is a free-for-all situation where every chemist seems to have his own price list, leaving patients helpless and frustrated .It has been observed that there is rampant unethical medical trade in umpteen states of the country.
One should not forget that health cannot be a profit arena. When medicine becomes business and traders dictate the terms, humanity itself suffers.

It’s high time the system ensures that life-saving drugs are priced not for the pockets of, traders, but for the welfare of the people.Medicine,which are supposed to save lives, have become instruments of exploitation.

Across India in many pharmacies and medical stores, the same drug is being sold at different prices, exposing the deep-rooted disorder and lack of regulation in this vital sector.

Health is not a commodity to be traded for profit, and the ongoing disorder in medicine pricing is a blot on the system’s conscience. The irony is that the government has a system of Maximum Retail Price (MRP), but in practice, it remains a paper rule. There is little monitoring, and enforcement agencies appear either toothless or complicit. The absence of price uniformity not only burdens patients financially but also erodes public trust in the medical trade.

Essential drugs are not luxury goods to be haggled over, they are a basic human necessity.
The authorities must wake up to this alarming situation. A strong regulatory mechanism is urgently needed to curb arbitrary pricing and bring transparency in billing. Surprise inspections, strict penalties for violators, and digital record monitoring could help restore order.

The government must ensure that every medicine carries a clear, verified retail price and that strict penalties are imposed on those found overcharging.
Until accountability is fixed and regular inspections become the norm rather than a rarity, the medicine mafia will continue to thrive — and the common man will keep paying the price, literally and painfully.

**Dr. Narresh Purohit-MD, DNB, DIH, MHA, MRCP(UK), is an Epidemiologist, and Advisor-National Communicable Disease Control Program of Govt. of India, Madhya Pradesh and several state Health organizations.    He’s  the Principle Investigator – Association of Studies In Behavioural Science),               Dr. Purohit is also Advisor-National Mental Health Program .