Covid-19 vaccines and medicines are not on the National List of Essential Medicines (NELM) because the trials are yet to be completed, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya, said on Tuesday, September 13, according to ABP News sources. He said that the process of a medicine being listed in NELM is a long process, because an independent committee makes the decision after consultation with 350 experts. Medicines are included in NELM on the basis of safety, affordability and accessibility, he said. The selling price is decided by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). The NELM 2015 was updated and released to the public on Tuesday. As many as 384 medicines have been included in the 2022 list.
These medicines belong to different categories. Mandaviya tweeted on Tuesday that several antibiotics, vaccines, anti-cancer drugs, and many other important drugs will become more affordable and reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure of patients. The Union Health Minister also wrote that India can achieve new heights of progress and prosperity only when its citizens are healthy.
Mandaviya also said that the company which manufactures a medicine cannot increase its price. He explained that if almost all the medicines are combined, more than 1,000 formulations will be available. He said that the prices of medicines will be revised so that everyone can avail cheap medicines.
Bharti Praveen Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health, said that the NELM is a very important list, and essential for primary, secondary and tertiary care.
According to ABP News sources, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that only the medicines which are approved and licensed in India are included in the list. The NELM includes medicines for diseases that are public health issues.
As many as 34 new medicines were added to the 2015 list, and 26 were removed. The medicines are effective, safe, and available at low prices.
The 2011 NELM list included 348 medicines. Of these, 43 were deleted. The 2015 list included 376 medicines. In order to prepare the 2015 list, 70 medicines were removed from the 2011 list and 106 new medicines were added.