To Reduce Disease Burden India Launches A New Study On Access to Affordable Drugs

As India is struggling hard to come out of economic meltdown, and more – while navigating through the Covid-19 pandemic, the issue of reducing the National Disease Burden (NDP) with comprehensive measures resurfaces. According to a World Bank study, with ’17.5% … Continue reading

Uniting Pharma With Business Ethics: A Bridge Too Far?

Operating ethically not only is the right thing to do but also is fundamental to success in business. Poor governance and poor ethical business practices can lead to fines, public scrutiny and distrust – overshadowing good performance, destroying reputation, and … Continue reading

Patients’ Trust And Pharma Remain Strange Bedfellows?

Like many other industries, pharmaceutical companies too often talk about improving focus on effective ‘stakeholder-relationship management’. The doctors obviously form an integral part of this process. There is nothing wrong with it. Nevertheless, serious concern of ‘conflict of interest’ between … Continue reading

Drug Price Control And National Health Security

‘Without Providing Affordable Medicines, There Can’t be Health Security’, said the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers of India, as reported on September 22, 2017. Although, the Minister made this remark while discussing Government price control on cardiac stents in … Continue reading

Draft Pharma Policy 2017 Ticks The Right Boxes: A Challenge Still Remains

Pharma policy is not a panacea to address all related issues, neither for the patients nor the industry, in general. As I see it, it’s no more than a critical cog in the wheel of the overall macro and the … Continue reading

Is The Department of Pharmaceuticals On The Same Page As The Prime Minister?

“The open secret is that pharmaceutical companies throw all manners of inducements on doctors to prescribe their medicines. The victim of their misdemeanors is the unsuspecting patient. Mr. Modi clearly wants to break this self-serving chain” – highlighted a media … Continue reading

Price Negotiation For Patented Drugs: Still Continues A Policy Paralysis

Many poor and even middle-income patients, who spend their entire life savings for treatment of life-threatening ailments, such as, cancer, have been virtually priced out of the access to patented new drugs, across the world. As articulated by the American … Continue reading

Declining MR Access to Doctors Prompts Increased Digital Engagement

The trigger point for a disruptive change in the pharma marketing playbook now seems to be not just on the horizon, but could soon move to a countdown stage, in India. On Friday, September 16, 2016, at a seminar on … Continue reading