Pvt de-addiction centres circumvent govt order on medicine price ceiling
Centres open after a shutdown over government mandating a price cap on anti-addiction drug at ₹7.5 a tablet; devise news ways of charging patients
CHANDIGARH: In yet another twist to the issue of the state government capping the price of antiaddiction drug, Buprenorphine, at all 96 private de-addiction centres in the state, these facilities have started charging patients in ways that make a mockery of government orders.
Patients are being charged registration fee, consultation fee and counselling charges, instead of being asked to pay for Buprenorphine at anywhere between ₹35 and ₹50 per tablet, as was the previous practice.
On November 4, the health and family welfare department had capped the rate of the medicine at ₹7.5 per tablet, saying that the government bought it at ₹3.5 per unit and private centres were fleecing patients by their ‘exorbitant pricing’.
The government says private centres are free to purchase the medicine from government-run Out-patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres or rehabilitation centres.
With the centres downing shutters in protest against the capping of rates, the government had even asked civil surgeons to identify some of these de-addiction facilities where proceedings could be started for cancellation of licences for denying this essential health service.
Following this government move, the centres have opened, but are now charging patients in this new ‘roundabout’ way that circumvents the government order, leaving patients harassed and angry. “Nothing has changed for us, despite the government order on capping the medicine price. On a monthly basis, we are going to pay almost the same amount,” a patient from Sangrur said.
HT has collected payment slips of a number of patients from private de-addiction centres, where patients are being charged ₹700 per visit; typically, a patient is required to repeat the visit every ten days and is being given take-home dosages of Buprenorphine. Previously, no such charges were being levied.
Private de-addiction centres admit that they have started charging the fee. “We have been left with no option? We have to meet our expenses to run these centres and pay for staff salaries. Previously, our financial needs were met from the margin we earned on the medicine. Now, the government cannot regulate us on this fee,” said a Ludhiana de-addiction centre owner.
GOVT FIRMING UP RESPONSE
A government functionary dealing
Nothing has changed for us, despite the govt order on capping the medicine price. On a monthly basis, we are going to pay the same.
A PATIENT FROM SANGRUR
with the case said the department was aware of the issue. “Let’s see what we can do to deal with this,” he said.
‘MEDICINE NOT AVAILABLE AT GOVT RATES ’
In their defence, centre owners claim that the government has capped the drug price without any preparation. “The government has capped prices without any preparation. In the private market, supply is not available on the rates that it has prescribed. The supply that we are getting through the offices of the civil surgeons cannot be sold, as it has the stamp of ‘Punjab Government Supply Not To Be Sold’, and we also do not have any bills for the medicine. This is a mess,” a centre owner claimed.
Previously, our financial needs were met from the margin on the medicine. Now, the government cannot regulate us on this fee. DE-ADDICTION CENTRE OWNER