Indian Healthcare Industry’s leading voice & one of the most respected name in the pharmaceutical sector, Mr Kewal Handa who strategies world’s leading drugmaker Pfizer in Indian operation will be speaking exclusively via televised tape on how The Centre’s decision to decontrol drug prices would take essential medicines beyond the reach of the common citizen. The controversial policy has been a bone of contention in the industry as there are no takers as the key pharma firms flay ‘populist' draft policy. The draft NPPP-2011 has been circulated among the concerned Ministries/Stake holders asking them for the feedbank.Patented drugs are not defined in the drugs (Price Control) Order, 1995 (DPCO, 1995). Under the provisions of the DPCO, 1995, prices of 74 scheduled bulk drugs and the formulations containing any of these scheduled drugs are controlled. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes or revises prices of scheduled drugs / formulations as per the provisions of the DPCO, 1995. Anti-cancer medicines are non-scheduled drugs, i.e. not covered under DPCO, 1995. In respect of non-scheduled drugs, manufacturers are at liberty to fix the prices by themselves without seeking the approval of Government / NPPA. Department of Pharmaceuticals has prepared a draft National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy 2011 (NPPP-2011) based on the criteria of essentiality and requirements as stipulated by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The draft Policy envisages bringing the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) – 2011 and associated medicines under price control. The draft NPPP-2011 has been circulated among the concerned Ministries/Stake holders asking them for the feedbank. This information was given by the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Srikant Kumar Jena in a written reply in the Lok Sabha recently.
Handa speaks exclusively at the 4th Annual Pharmaceutical Leadership Summit 2011(www.pharmasummit.in ) organised by Pharmaleaders ( www.pharmaleaders.co.in ) to be held in Mumbai ob 10th December 2011 via Careworld TV. Mr Handa has strong reservations on the proposed policy as he feels that this will have detrimental effect on the healthcare sector. Kewal Handa is Managing Director, Pfizer Limited, the world’s No.1 pharmaceutical company that discovers and develops break-through drugs, provides information on prevention, wellness, and treatment; consistent high-quality manufacturing of medicines, consumer products; and is a global leader in corporate responsibility. Under his leadership, the company is now aggressive in its growth plans and has launched several new products.
Kewal is a reputed industry expert who takes the lead on key issues that concern the pharmaceutical sector. As Vice President of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), he has been at the forefront of the industry’s efforts to resolve issues pertaining to the pharmaceutical sector. He is also the Chairman of DPCO & Taxation Committee of OPPI. He has recently been appointed as the President of All India Management Association and is a committee member of various industry bodies in the country. Kewal was awarded the ‘India CFO 2004 – Excellence in Finance in an MNC’ by International Market – Assessment Group and has recently won the Bharat Shiromani Award. A qualified Management Accountant and Company Secretary, and with a Masters Degree in Commerce from Sydenham College, Mumbai, Kewal has completed the Pfizer Leadership Development Program from Harvard University, the Senior Management Development Program from IIM, Ahmedabad. He has also done a course on Marketing Strategy from Columbia Business School. Mr. Handa is also the Managing Director of Wyeth Ltd.
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