September 20: The Supreme Court has ordered the government and the concerned bodies to make necessary arrangements for setting up hospital’s own pharmacies at every hospital of the country and distribute 86 types of medicines listed by the government free of cost.

A division bench of justices Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha and Tej Bahadur KC issued the verdict on September 18.

Consumer Welfare Protection Forum, Nepal’s General Secretary Bishnu Prasad Timilsina had filed a writ petition at the apex court arguing that the same medicine has different pricing at different pharmacies and in order to bring uniformity in price, the advocate had demanded for the hospitals to open their own pharmacies.

About one and a half years ago, the apex court had given an interim order for all hospitals to open their own pharmacies. That order was not implemented. On Monday, the division bench of justices gave the final verdict on this issue upholding the previous order.

The forum had presented the bills of a medicine which cost Rs 13 at Manmohan Cardiovascular Hospital but the same medicine cost Rs 32 at Bir Hospital.

The government has adopted a policy to provide 86 types of medicines free of cost.

The writ petitioner’s lawyer Jyoti Bania informed that their research found Bir Hospital renting space for private pharmacies for as much as Rs 1.3 million per month. The petition argued that high rent has raised the cost of medicines causing inconvenience to the general public.