‘Medicines for All’, the Pharma Industry and the Indian State
S Srinivasan
Economic & Political Weekly EPW June 11, 2011 vol xlvi no 24
When we consider that expenditure on medicines in India accounts for 50% to 80% of treatment costs, India’s pharmaceutical success has clearly not translated into availability or affordability of medicines for all. As part of Universal Access to Healthcare, good quality healthcare should be accessible, affordable, and available to all in need. Providing quality medicines to all – free at the point of service – in all our public facilities is an achievable task. This article estimates the cost of providing free and quality medicines at all levels of public healthcare and offers suggestions on how this can be done.