In good news for consumers, the Supreme Court has held that an order reducing prices of particular medicines will come into force with immediate effect after its publication in the gazette and firms should implement it within 15 days time and not sell unsold stocks at higher price.
A bench of justices RM Lodha and Kurian Joseph dismissed the appeals preferred by medicines firms and the distributors seeking the order that the stocks cleared by the manufacturer before the 15th day can be allowed to sold to consumers at the higher unrevised price.
It allowed the plea of the Centre that once the Drugs Prices Control Order (DPCO) is gazetted, revised prices will be applicable to all unsold stocks of the medicines, covered under the order.
A bench of justices RM Lodha and Kurian Joseph dismissed the appeals preferred by medicines firms and the distributors seeking the order that the stocks cleared by the manufacturer before the 15th day can be allowed to sold to consumers at the higher unrevised price.
It allowed the plea of the Centre that once the Drugs Prices Control Order (DPCO) is gazetted, revised prices will be applicable to all unsold stocks of the medicines, covered under the order.