Analysis of Drug Prices, 1980 to 1995

Since the drug policy of 1986, many changes have been introduced liberalising the environment for drug manufacturing and marketing. These changes have apparently come about as a response to the drug industry's plea that controls in India were too stringent and that without controls prices would stabilise and not rise. Yet, a categorywise analysis of prices of drugs over a period of 15 years shows that there is a general rising trend in prices, especially of essential and life-saving drugs.