50. The domestic drugs and pharmaceutical industry needs support in order to meet the challenges and to avail of the opportunities arising out of liberalisation of our economy and the impending advent of the product patent regime. Government has been considering measures to lessen the rigours of the present price control mechanism where they have become counter productive. Towards this end, we have decided that the span of price control will be reduced substantially. However, keeping in view the interest of the weaker sections of society, Government will retain the power to intervene comprehensively in cases where prices behave abnormally. Changes in the Pharmaceutical Policy are being made accordingly.