KATHMANDU: The government has made it mandatory for pharmacies to place a price list mentioning price of most common medicines.

The list shall include prices of most used 18 medicines as well as of 78 medicines for chronic diseases including cancer.

A Cabinet meeting held on Monday decided that all drug houses should exhibit the price list at the store.

Minister for Information and Communications, Minendra Rijal, said the Ministry of Health and Population is assigned to implement the decision at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the government itself is planning to fix prices for those 98 medicines.

The MoHP had floated the proposal in response to a number of complaints that claimed medicine stores overcharged consumers, according to Rijal, also the spokesperson of government.

Other decisions

The Cabinet meeting also decided that the Nepal Trust owns lands owned by late King Birendra Shah, late Queen Aishwarya and their family members during the time of their death. The lands in Lalitpur, Sindhupalchok, Kathmandu and Kaski districts will be transferred to the Nepal Trust, according to the decision.

An account with the name of HM Treasury at the Standard Chartered Bank will also be taken over by the Trust.

The Cabinet approved the Public Procurement (First Amendment) Bill, 2015 to table it at the Parliament.

The meeting decided to give Rs 40,000 a month to each Justice of the Supreme Court as house rent.

Meanwhile, former joint-secretary Gyani Yadav has been appointed member at the Teachers Service Commission.