Purpose of Hathi Committee
The Hathi Committee, led by Justice Hathi, was established to assess the pharmaceutical industry in India and recommend measures to make drugs affordable and accessible.
Objectives
Evaluate the pharmaceutical industry’s role in providing essential medicines.
Assess the pricing, production, and availability of medicines.
Recommend policies to promote self-sufficiency in drug manufacturing.
Findings
India relied heavily on imports for essential drugs and raw materials.
Drug prices were high, making them inaccessible to the poor.
Foreign multinational corporations dominated the pharmaceutical industry, leading to high prices and limited local growth.
Recommendations
Establish Public Sector Pharmaceutical Enterprises to ensure drug availability at affordable prices.
Encourage indigenous production of raw materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Promote price control measures to regulate drug prices.
Strengthen regulatory frameworks to enforce quality control.
Reduce dependence on multinational companies and boost domestic production.
Outcome
Led to the establishment of public sector enterprises like IDPL (Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited).
Implementation of Drug Price Control Orders (DPCO) to regulate drug prices.
Increased focus on self-reliance in drug production.
Strengthened legislation to regulate the pharmaceutical industry.