The Union Minister for Chemicals, Fertilisers and Steel Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said from April 1 onwards, the prices of drugs would include local taxes.
"From April 1 onwards there will be only Maximum Retail Prices on the drugs and no local taxes would be mentioned. All MRPs would include local taxes," Paswan told reporters.
He was speaking to the press after a consultative committee meeting in Panaji also divulged that details like medicine name, cost, expiry and manufacture date in English and Hindi on the drugs would be made mandatory.
"The issue of writings in both the languages was discussed with Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association and they have welcomed it," Paswan said.
He said National Pharmaceutical Pricing Association was in touch with various organisations and efforts were on to implement the decision from April 1.
Paswan said the National Pharmaceutical Policy comprising recommendations of Sandhu and Pranav Sen Committee reports is being given the final shape and would be put before the Cabinet.
The policy speaks of 2 per cent health cess on tax payers so that the free medicines for people below poverty line could be made available, Paswan said.
The ministry also intended to levy 2 per cent additional tax on the pharmaceutical industry to generate fund for implementing the scheme of giving free medicines to BLP people, he added.